30-minute quick and easy vegan pho recipe - Rhubarbarians (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient in pho broth? ›

Sa sung—dried peanut worms—have been described as the secret ingredient of great pho.

This vegan pho broth gets its rich, umami-packed flavor from a medley of well-toasted spices, charred veg, dried mushrooms, and miso for a soul-edifying soup.

However, it's possible to make a vegetarian variation of pho, as well, by swapping the bone broth for vegetable broth and the meat for a plant protein like tofu. "Pho is a very nutritious dish," says nutritionist Rachael Hartley.

The key to this authentic Vietnamese soup is the flavorful broth that simmers for at least six hours before serving over rice noodles. We promise, this soup is so worth the wait.

Known as sa sung in Vietnamese, the peanut worm is high in nutrition. The worm was once used in making pho (rice noodle soup) to add to the flavor of the broth.

Broth - the soul of Pho. Beef bones play a crucial role in influencing the quality of the broth. Combined with spices such as ginger, charred onions, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and coriander seeds, the broth gains a distinct aroma.

Pro – Pho Has A Lot of Health Benefits

From its ingredients, it's been shown to reduce inflammation and improve joint health. If you suffer from something like chronic pain or arthritis, you may want to entertain the idea of enjoying more pho. The broth particularly can be very anti-inflammation.

Every bowl of pho contains a rich blend of calcium, phosphorus, and iron to help your bones, dentin, teeth enamel, and may even help to restore minerals in your teeth. Almost all of the processed foods these days remove the fiber your body needs for a healthy functional digestive system.

It's a sign the broth is of quality and cooked with meat bones. The collagen that's released will gelatinized.

Experts also suggest that if pho is used for breakfast, then you should avoid salt for the rest of the day. To avoid imbalanced nutrition, you should not eat pho too often, and you should switch up diet with other food products. Any food, no matter how good it is, won't be good for your body if consumed too much.

What is the healthiest pho soup? ›

Chicken pho generally has the least fat and is a good source of lean protein. If you're just here for the beef, round cuts are the leanest, followed by brisket and flank.

Pho generally offers a lighter option, with lower calorie and fat content compared to ramen. Its balanced macronutrient profile, abundance of fresh herbs and vegetables, and lower sodium content make it an appealing choice for individuals seeking a nutritious meal.

For the most interesting flavor, use a variety. Onion and fresh ginger: I love the onion and ginger in this broth. To achieve the distinctive, almost smoky, deep flavor of traditional beef pho, I char the onion and ginger before simmering with the beef bones (watch me do it in the video).

Leave the fat. When done right, all beef pho broth will have a layer of fat covering the surface. These globules of goodness add great beefy flavors to the broth and retain a lot of the spice flavors that make this a pho broth and not just regular beef stock.

Achieving Clear Pho Broth

The parboiling or blanching of the bones and beef removes much of this scum. Scum or "impurities" naturally floats to the top when you make any kind of stock using meat and bones. A fine mesh skimmer can remove the scum and much of the fat very quickly and easily.

Pho Broth Ingredients

Stewing beef: such as brisket or chuck, which will be stewed until tender right in the broth. Oxtail: aside from the marrow and connective tissue that results in a delicious broth, oxtail meat is also one of the best cuts for stew. If omitting, use more bones and more stew beef.

The broth is the soul of pho, easily the most important component. Though chicken variants exist, pho broth is typically made from beef, onions/shallots, ginger, yellow rock sugar, fish sauce, and spices. The broth is where the flavor is and It's what makes pho, pho.

Although these spices are unique to the Pho flavor adding them too early will make the broth too potent and bitter. This combination varies from recipe to recipe but for mine I use a combination of cinnamon sticks, star anise, peppercorns, cardamon, coriander seeds, and cloves.