There is nothing like a bowl of soup, especially the Vietnamese noodle soup “Pho”. The dish is generally served with a meat based broth and meat.
However, vegetarian pho is becoming more common these days. There is a popular Vietnamese restaurant near my house. They serve a great vegan pho, along with a incredibly delicious tofu and cabbage salad.
Almost all of their customers are regulars: you walk in the door, are greeted and then asked if you want your standard order!
Homemade Faux Pho
Sometimes though it is nice to stay home and make your own pho!
I’ve experimented with variations of broth over time. Star anise adds a wonderful depth of flavor that I love.
Some good vegetable stock simmered with some star anise, ginger, garlic and a bit of soy sauce creates a tasty base. When the broth is to your liking, remove the spices if you want. Next, add some sliced vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, carrots, shiitake or button mushrooms, sliced green onions and cubed firm tofu. Bring to a boil, and immediately turn off the heat to preserve the crispness of the veggies. Divide cooked rice noodles between bowls, and add the broth and vegetables.
Fresh bean sprouts, fresh cilantro and basil and thinly sliced green chile peppers add crunch and texture. Sriracha, hoisin sauce and freshly squeezed lime or lemon really perk up the soup. Yummy!
I don’t really have exact measurements because I like the flexibility of using different veggies and flavorings depending on my mood or what’s in the fridge. I could eat this several times a week and never tire of it! It’s one of my all time favorite meals!
Perfect any day of the week!
in cahoots with muddy boots 
Deeeeeelicious!
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Couldn’t have said it better!
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Always love a good soup, my favorite!
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Good soup is hard to beat!
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Oh how I could go for ramen right now!
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Do you make your own?
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Not completely , I haven’t figured out a good recipe for the Korean base that I like, I know I would need quite a bit of ingredients for it to taste authentic. I’ll keep looking though, but if I do use the packaged stuff as a starter, I add a lot of things to it ; tofu , bok choy, shitake, scallions, etc. I do make my own soup with cellophane noodles but I really wouldn’t call it ramen. I’m an amateur.
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What matters most is that you like it. I have made ramen soup, but also not totally authentic. I make a great mushroom and tofu stew like the one we had in Seoul. It uses Doenjang, a fermented soybean paste. Yummy!
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Sounds delicious, I need to hang out in the Asian markets soon to make my own.
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Beautiful too. I’m off on an island and I caught a cold, :-(, some of that soup would sure be wonderful.
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Hope you feel better soon! During our recent trip I actually had a dream in which I was slicing veggies and making soup. First thing I did arriving at home, was make soup.
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It looks yummy.
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It was! Always enjoy good soup.
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I enjoy Pho, but sadly have not made it. Such a shame for someone who professes to be a foodie. I need to give it a go. Thanks for the recipe and suggestions.
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It’s not at all difficult, just not always easy to remember making it. And I really like being able to add the ingredients we like. Let me know how it turns out when you make pho.
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I’m definitely going to have to make this. It looks incredible!
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Once I realized how easy it is to make, we don’t go out for pho much anymore. I like mine with lots of veggies and at home I can be creative with what I add. Let me know how it turns out when you make it.
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