If you've ever had the pleasure of knowing someone from the beautiful country of Vietnam, have had the chance to visit the country itself, or if you're of Vietnamese decent yourself, you know they take their Pho VERY seriously in Vietnam. But, unfortunately, you've probably been saying the word wrong this whole time. It's pronounced "fuh?," but really like you're singing "fuuuuhhhh?". The question mark at the end is important to get the Vietnamese pronunciation exactly right. The sound at the end should be raised a bit like you are asking a question.
Typically, Pho is made from beef or pork bones and finished with fish sauce. However, the creation of this Vegan Pho or "Phở Chay" in Vietnamese, will bring you the same depth and flavors as meaty mushrooms. The thought of having a steamy bowl full of the most wonderful aromas, flavors, and depth would make anyone drool.
Pho is a feel-good meal in a giant bowl. The broth contains aromatics such as cinnamon, star anise, black cardamom, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, ginger & cloves that are all toasted to enhance their flavors and make your house fill up with the most wonderful smells of toasted spices. The vegetables that are used for the broth are yam beans also known as Jicama, white daikon radish, onions, mushroom seasoning powder for that umami flavor, rock sugar, sea salt for some added sweetness. For added protein there is vegetarian beef which is made from soy beans as well as slices of vegan ham made from jackfruit. All added to a large bowl with a mountain of rice noodles piled high, meaty mushrooms, topped with Thai basil, mung bean sprouts, cilantro, fresh lime, chillies & sliced onions. Let's not forget about the sriracha & hoisin sauces to swirl in at your heart's content.
If you're looking for more plant-based recipes have a look and learn How to make Yam Pie, its filling and great for sharing.
Ingredients
1/4 medium Yam Bean, peeled and diced into medium pieces.
1/4 small Daikon, peeled and diced medium.
1 finger of Fresh Ginger, sliced in 1/4 inch slices, leaving the skin on
1 medium Yellow Onion, peeled and cut in 1/4s
4 Whole Star Anise
10 Whole Cloves
1 Black Cardamom Pod, cut in half
1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
1 teaspoon Coriander Seeds
2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 tablespoon Rock Sugar
3 liters Cold Water
1 medium Asian Pear or Red Apple if Asian pear isn't available, peeled and medium dice
2 tablespoons, Mushroom Powder Seasoning
6 ounces Flat Rice Noodles, per person
3 teaspoons Vegetable Oil
1 pound Oyster Mushrooms, or any mushroom of preference, washed, cut bite sized.
1 cup Mung Bean Sprouts, rinsed under cold water & dried
5 stems Thai Basil, leaves picked off
5 stems Fresh Cilantro, leaves pick off
1 Scallion, thinly sliced
1 Whole Fresh Lime, cut in half
3 tablespoons Hoisin Sauce
3 tablespoons, Sriracha, or however much or little heat you can handle
1/4 Onion, peeled & thinly sliced.
36 pieces Vegan Beef Slices, covered and soaked in warm water to rehydrate for 15 minutes
10 Vegan Ham Slices, cut in half
4 cups Hot Water, for soaking the noodles
1 teaspoon Light Soy Sauce
1 Bird's Eye Red Chili Pepper, thinly sliced
Instructions
Heat a cast iron pan to medium-high heat, place in the cinnamon, ginger and star anise into the pan to toast rotating them around for 30 seconds. Then add in the rest of the spices and toast for an additional 30 seconds. Add the aromatics into some cheesecloth & tie everything together using kitchen twine.
Add cold water to a large pot & place it onto high heat on the stovetop.
Add in the yam beans, daikon, onion, and Asian pear into the pot.
Bring to a simmer and reduce to medium-low heat, cooking for 30 minutes.
Once the vegetable broth has simmered for 30 minutes, strain the broth using a fine mesh strainer, into another large pot, discarding the vegetables.
Add the cheesecloth containing the aromatics, rock sugar, mushroom seasoning powder and salt to the pot, simmer on medium heat for an additional 15 minutes to further infuse the broth.
Once the broth has simmered for 15 minutes remove and discard the cheesecloth. Keep the broth on low heat to stay warm.
Soak the rice noodles in hot water for 20 minutes using a large bowl. Strain & rinse the noodles using a colander.
Place a large non-stick pan onto the stovetop setting it to medium-high heat.
Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to the pan and add in the mushrooms, sauté the mushrooms for 5 minutes to soften them. Add 1 teaspoon of light soy sauce at the end of cooking to season the mushroom.
Place the cooked mushrooms into a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
Place the pan back onto the heat adding 1 teaspoon of oil to the pan.
Strain the water from the vegan beef slices, drying them off using paper towel or a clean kitchen towel.
Add the vegan beef sliced to the pan, searing them on each side for 30 seconds per side, flipping them over using a pair of kitchen tongs.
Remove the vegan beef slices from the pan placing them into a medium-sized bowl.
Repeat the same process with the vegan ham slices.
Portion the mushrooms and noodles evenly into the soup bowls.
Using a soup ladle, add the broth to each bowl with enough liquid to cover the noodles.
Garnish the top of each bowl of soup with the vegan beef slices, vegan ham, mung bean spouts, Thai basil, cilantro, scallions, sliced onion, chillies & squeeze of lime juice.
Add in a spoonful each of Hoisin and Sriracha sauce & enjoy this flavorful homemade bowl of Pho Chay.
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