Description
This broth offers an intensely aromatic flavor base, inspired by traditional pho, yet completely plant-based. It is served with nutrient-rich buckwheat soba noodles and fresh blanched vegetables.
It’s more than a soup; it’s an act of care for your digestive system. Each simmered ingredient releases phytonutrients that nourish, calm, and sustain vitality from the inside out.
Ingredients
Broth Ingredients
- 1 charred medium onion (instructions below)
- 2 inches charred ginger (instructions below)
- 2 cups of kitchen scraps (or 2 cups carrots, celery, squash cut into large cubes)
- 1/2 cup daikon radish or radish
- 2 cups of chopped greens (options: kale, bok choy, collard greens, chard, dandelion)
- 1 tablespoon seaweed (options: nori, dulse, wakame, kelp, or kombu)
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 1–2 clove per your taste
- 1–2 whole star anise per you taste
- 1/8 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 3–4 peppercorns
- 2–3 fresh or dried shiitake mushrooms (optional)
- sea salt to taste
- 8 cups water (may need to adjust per your slow cooker, instant pot). It will cook down overnight.
Pho Soup Ingredients
- 4 oz buckwheat soba noodles (rice noodles can also be used)
- 1 cup steamed or blanched veggies: carrots, greens, squash, radish
- 1 cup fresh Thai basil, cilantro, and/or fresh mint
- 1/2 cup Bean sprouts if available
- Diced tofu (optional), it does not need to be cooked
- 1 tsp fresh squeezed lime juice
- dash hot sauce per your taste (ie, gochujang, a fermented Korean sauce, or sriracha)
- dash sesame oil
Instructions
- Cut the onion in half and place it with whole ginger on baking pan. Place under broiler for 5 min at 500. Let cool. Slice the ginger and onion into smaller pieces and add to the broth mixture.
- You can use vegetable scraps that are leftover from other meals you have made that week. I generally cut them up and place the extra scraps in the freezer or into the back into the fridge. Then when i am ready to make the broth, I take them out and use.
- Or you can use of blend of freshly cut veggies to make the broth as noted.
- I place all the broth ingredients in the slow cooker overnight on low or medium setting. When I wake up in the morning, the whole house smells amazing.
- Once the broth is cooked, strain the spices and veggies out. This broth can now have miso or other flavors added based on what you might like.
- Typically, I use buckwheat soba noodles and cook per the package instructions. However, the real insight came when I learned to rinse the noodles. The noodles had such a great texture and flavor with this.
- You can then steam or blanch the vegetables and tofu and place them on top of the pho broth. Check out the video to see the technique.
- Combine the broth, miso, and steamed veggies into a bowl. It can then be topped with hot sauce, sesame seeds, sesame oil, cilantro, lime, or other flavors that you love.
Notes
Traditional Vietnamese Pho soup consists of bone broth, rice noodles, and thinly sliced meat, served with bean sprouts, basil, limes, chiles, and other garnishes. It does not use soba noodles or have as many vegetables; however, the broth, which provides the rich flavor, is an excellent base when adapted to plant-based eaters.
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- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: dinner
- Cuisine: Vietnamese