THIS CLASSIC VIETNAMESE SOUP IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES.
In Vietnam, they cook the broth for hours if not overnight, but I know that’s not going to work for most of us. Yet I also don't want to skimp on the flavors.
The key to bringing out all the lovely, warm flavors is letting the spices roast and the herbs simmer. This recipe comes together easily and I promise it is bursting with all the flavors you love about Pho.
There are two versions of the recipe - this one for vegetarians, and one for those who aren't (which you can find here). In both, I have also included both stovetop and Instant Pot cooking methods.
Enjoy every slurp!
INGREDIENTS
Soup
- 1 cinnamon sticks
- 3 whole cloves
- 2 star anise
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 large white onion sliced
- 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and halved
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 3 cups of water
- 2 tbsp of Ri’s Coconut Aminos
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil, mild extra-virgin olive oil or your neutral-flavored oil of choice
- 5 ounces thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
- Salt to taste
- Zucchini noodles, daikon noodles, shiritake noodles, or kelp noodles
- 4 Soft or medium boiled egg
Garnish
- bean sprouts
- fresh basil (use Thai basil if you can find it)
- cilantro
- fresh mint
- Thinly sliced scallions (mostly green parts)
- Fresh chili
- wedges of lime
INSTRUCTIONS
Stovetop
- Warm a large heavy bottom pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise, and coriander seeds. Toast until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the onion, ginger, vegetable stock, water, and coconut aminos or vegetarian fish sauce. Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes to give the flavors time to develop.
- To prepare the shiitake mushrooms, warm the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and a few dashes of salt. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and lightly browned, about 4 to 6 minutes, then set them aside.
- Once the broth is done cooking, you can choose to strain out the ginger and spices with a small metal sieve, or just be mindful while eating. Season it to taste with extra coconut aminos or fish sauce or salt.
- Fill bowls with about 1.5 cups of zucchini noodles, shiritake noodles or kelp noodles (if using kelp noodles, soak them in cold water with 2 tsp of lemon juice for about 10 minutes and then rinse).
- Ladle the broth into your bowls, add mushrooms, and all your fresh garnishes. Don’t forget a good squeeze of lime. Top with soft/medium boiled egg cut in half
Instant Pot
- Set your Instant Pot to the saute function. Add the cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise, and coriander seeds. Toast until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the onion, ginger, vegetable stock, water, and coconut aminos or vegetarian fish sauce. Put your lid on, set the vent to sealing, and choose the soup/broth setting.
- Follow step 3 onwards from the Stovetop method.
For more yummy and healthy-ish recipes like this, click here to visit Riyana’s blog 👩🏽🍳