Vietnamese Vegetable Pho
Shiitake-charred-onion broth, tofu, bok choy, rice noodles and herb plate.
Maui's an app that plans a whole week of dinners like this one. See how it works ↓
Dried shiitake and miso do the work that bone broth does in pho bo - long, deep, savory backbone. Skip the dried mushrooms and you've got vegetable soup. Don't skip them.
Ingredients
Everything below makes 4 servings.
- 8 cupsstore-bought vegetable broth
- 1 ozdried shiitake mushrooms
- 14 ozextra-firm tofupressed, cubed
- 12 ozdried rice noodles (banh pho, medium)
- 1 mediumyellow onionhalved (skin on)
- 3 inchfresh gingersliced lengthwise (skin on)
- 4star anise pods
- 1cinnamon stick
- 1 tspcoriander seeds
- 3 tbspsoy sauce
- 1 tbspwhite miso
- 1 tbsprock sugar (or light brown sugar)
- 4baby bok choyhalved lengthwise
- 1 tbspneutral oil
- ½ tspkosher salt
- 1 bunchThai basilleaves picked (garnish)
- ½ cupfresh cilantroroughly chopped (garnish)
- 2 cupsbean sproutsrinsed
- 3scallionsthinly sliced
- 2limecut into wedges
- 1jalapeñothinly sliced (table heat)
In the app these rescale to however many people you're feeding.
Nutrition
Per serving, as written.
- 420calories
- 18gprotein
- 64gcarbs
- 10gfat
Swaps move these numbers. A different protein or base changes them.
Instructions
Knife work first, then the stove. Nothing below asks you to chop while something burns.
- Press tofu 10 min between paper towels; cube into 1-inch pieces.
- Halve onion, slice ginger lengthwise.
- Pick basil, chop cilantro, slice scallions, wedge limes, slice jalapeño, halve bok choy.
- Soak rice noodles in hot tap water 30 min while broth simmers.
Char aromatics
Char onion halves and ginger slices in a dry skillet over high heat, cut-side down, 4-5 min until blackened in spots. Add star anise, cinnamon, and coriander; toast 60 sec until fragrant.
10 min · hands onSimmer broth
Combine vegetable broth, dried shiitake, charred aromatics, toasted spices, soy sauce, sugar, and salt in stockpot. Bring to a low simmer; cook 35 min uncovered to extract mushroom depth.
35 min · hands offCrisp tofu
While broth simmers, heat oil in the dry skillet over medium-high. Add tofu cubes, sear 3 min per side, 3 sides each, until deeply golden. Set aside.
10 min · hands onFinish broth
Strain broth through fine-mesh sieve (reserve the soaked shiitakes - slice and add back to the broth). Whisk miso into 1/4 cup hot broth in a small bowl until smooth, then stir back into the pot. Taste - add more soy if it needs salt.
3 min · hands onCook noodles and greens
Bring broth to a hard simmer. Drain soaked noodles, cook in broth 60 sec, divide into 4 bowls. Add bok choy halves to broth, cook 2 min until tender-crisp.
3 min · hands onBuild bowls
Top noodles with seared tofu, bok choy, and sliced shiitake. Ladle hot broth over. Top with scallions and cilantro. Serve with basil, sprouts, lime, and jalapeño at the table.
3 min · hands onMake it yours
Every swap here is one Maui already knows how to make, including what it does to the timing.
Steam tempeh 5 min first, then sear; same flow.
Check label - many misos contain barley or wheat; use a certified GF miso. Naturally GF, but check label for wheat-blend noodles.
What keeps
Broth keeps 4 days, freezes 2 months. Cook noodles per bowl - they go mushy.
Tofu reheats fine. Bok choy is best blanched fresh.
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