This vegan take on a pho is all about creating the delicious, fragrant, broth. I'd quite happily just drink a bowl of this broth on its own, but pack it with rice noodles and amazing toppings and it turns into a hot bowl of slurpy, warming, goodness.
Traditional pho takes up to 10 hours to prepare, but I'd rather take this healthier, mega-quick, flavour-packed vegan version any day! (Tip - if you're just making this for two people, still make the broth for four. Just strain the liquid through a sieve and freeze for a rainy day. Then defrost and serve with fresh toppings for a quick mid-week meal).
Quick Vegan Tofu and Mushroom Pho
Ingredients (serves 4):
For the broth:
2L vegetable stock (only use 1 stock cube)
1 white onion, roughly chopped
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
Thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, roughly chopped
3 whole star anise
5 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 Tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce
To serve:
225g pack instant rice noodles
Handful coriander (cilantro)
Handful basil
Handful mint
8 spring onions (scallions), sliced
1 red chilli, sliced
2 Tbsp rapeseed oil
300g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
300g pack tofu
2 Tbsp cornflour
1 fresh lime, cut into wedges
Method:
Preheat your oven to 180C (360F).
Start by making the broth. Simply chuck the stock, onion, garlic, ginger, star anise, cloves, cinnamon and soy sauce to a large pot and simmer gently with the lid on for about 30 mins.
Meanwhile, prepare your toppings. Cube the tofu and gently toss with 1 Tbsp rapeseed oil and the cornflour, then scatter onto a baking tray and bake for 20 mins until crispy. Sauté the mushrooms in 1 Tbsp rapeseed oil in a hot frying pan for 5-10 minutes or until browned. Wash and chop the fresh herbs, spring onion, chilli, and lime. Cook the rice noodles as per packet instructions.
Now to assemble the pho - divide the drained noodles into your serving bowls, then ladle in the hot stock (leaving the onion and spices behind). Now top with the crispy tofu, sautéed mushrooms, spring onions, chilli, fresh herbs, and lime wedges.
Nutrition (per serving):
Protein: 21.9g (Women: 43.8% / Men: 39.8%)
Iron: 3.9mg (Women: 26.4% / Men: 44.8%)
Calories: 481 (Women: 24.1% / Men: 19.2%)
Sugars: 4.4g (Women: 4.9% / Men: 3.7%)
Total Fats: 15.3g (Women: 21.9% / Men: 16.1%)
Saturated Fats: 2.4g (Women: 12.0% / Men: 8.0%)
Salt: 1.7g (Women: 28.3% / Men: 28.3%)
Fibre: 5.5g (Women: 18.3% / Men: 18.3%)
See the Nutrition Info page for more details on % of Dietary Reference Values for men and women.