This vegan pho is a delicious take on classic Vietnamese noodle soup with all vegan ingredients. An amazingly flavorful broth, perfectly cooked rice sticks, sauteed tofu and all the toppings in the world! Comfort food at its best!
I am kind of rekindling my love for Asian fare these days. I find myself cooking delicious, comforting, spicy and yummy Asian recipes over and over.
This vegan pho is our all time favorite and make it very frequently at home. The recipe is super easy, as easy as boiling water.
Yes, once you have the toppings prepped, this Vietnamese noodles soup gets ready in no time. Not only delicious, this is a quirky fun dish to assemble and serve.
Whenever I want a comforting broth on a cold day, I resort to either bowl of piping hot rasam rice or pasta soup or this yummy vegan pho.
Whether you have tasted this before or hearing it for the first time, I highly recommend you to try this recipe at home. You will be surely pleased.
What Is Pho?
Pho is Vietnamese noodle soup with a deep flavorful broth and rice noodles. Traditional pho is made with beef broth. The main attraction of this noodle soup is the array of toppings in varied textures and colors.
For making a vegan version of homemade pho we are using a vegetable broth which is further flavored with whole spices, onion, cabbage and carrots. If you eat mushrooms you can add it in broth for deep earthy flavor.
This is my take on authentic pho from Vietnamese restaurants based on the vegetarian version I have tasted from a tiny Asian takeaway.
This is a very adaptable recipe where you can add or omit ingredients as per availability and taste.
We like to load up this vegan pho with as many toppings as possible.
Always serve pho piping hot. Keep the broth, noodles and toppings separately and assemble just before serving. For a more fun meal you can have build your own noodle bowl party!
This Vegan Pho Is
Delicious take on classic pho with vegan ingredients
So flavorful, tasty and hearty
easy and quick to make
served with variety of toppings
Gluten free recipe.
Making this classic noodle soup can be broken into three steps
- preparing the broth
- preparing the toppings & noodles
- Assemble and serve.
Here I have broken down the recipe in three steps for easy understanding. Before going into the recipe, let’s take look at the ingredients and all tips you need to know for making best homemade vegetarian pho.
Pho Ingredients
For broth
- Stock– Any good quality homemade or store bought veggie stock. If you don’t have time to make stock just use water.
- Whole spices– This pho broth made without meat gets all its flavor from whole spices and veggies. We need star anise, green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon bark and coriander seeds. These whole spices infused in stock produces a very flavorful broth.
- Veggies– Onion, carrot, ginger and some cabbage simmered in stock to deepen the flavor of broth.
- Soy sauce or tamari– A splash of sauce adds a wonderful flavor. I have used tamari here. If you want to make gluten free pho make sure to use tamari.
- Sweetener– Traditionally pho broth is sweetened with yellow rock sugar. Since I don’t have it, I used light brown sugar.
Other Ingredients
- Rice noodles or rice sticks– I used my flat rice noodles that I usually use for pad thai. These are very delicate and don’t require much of cooking. Most of them just need to be soaked in warm water until soft. Make sure to add few drops of oil to the cooked noodles to prevent them from sticking to each other.
- Tofu- To add some protein and substance to this vegan pho, I usually add some toasted tofu cubes. If you are making vegetarian pho you can also add paneer or halloumi cubes.
Toppings For Vegetarian Pho
- Veggies– I love to load up this noodle soup bowl with as many veggies as possible. Here I have added cabbage, peppers, onions. While you can add raw veggies, I prefer to very lightly saute the cabbage and peppers.
- Sprouts– Crunchy bean sprouts add so much texture and taste to this soup. I have used homemade green mung sprouts.You can use any variety of sprouts you like.
- Fresh herbs- cilantro leaves, mint and basil leaves.
- Veggies- You can add raw veggies like bok choy, cabbage leaves or add sauteed veggies like I did here.
How To Make Vegan Pho
Pho Broth
Heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a pan. Add halved onion and ginger piece. Cook in high heat for 3-4 minutes or until the onion and ginger char well.
Now add 3 cups stock, whole spices, shredded or cubed veggies.
Next add tamari, chili paste or any hot sauce like siracha, brown sugar and salt to taste. Bring to a boil.
Cover and simmer for 5-6 minutes.
Strain and set aside the pho broth until use.
Preparing the veggies & noodles
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a skillet. Add shredded cabbage and saute for 2 minutes.
Add tofu cubes to the same oil and toast until crispy.
Cube the peppers, carrots and saute for a minute if preferred.
Prepare noodles as per package instructions. I soaked the rice sticks in hot water for 3-4 minutes.
Drain the softened noodles, add few drops of oil and toss. Keep covered until use.
Assemble & Serve Vegetarian Pho
Keep the prepared veggies ready in a plate.
Also keep sprouts ready.
Into a serving bowl place a portion of noodles, prepared veggies, tofu.
Pour hot broth over it.
Add fresh herbs, sprouts, more tofu, lemon wedges and finally a spoon of hot sauce or chili paste.
Serve vegan pho immedietly.
More Asian Recipes
I hope you will try this vegan pho recipe and enjoy as much as we did.

Vegan Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)
1 CUP = 250 ml
Ingredients
For pho broth
- 3 cups vegetable stock or water
- 1 large onion halved
- 2 inch ginger piece halved
- 1 cup cubed carrots
- 1/4 cup shredded cabbage
- 5 small cardamom
- 1 star anise
- 1 inch cinnamon bark
- 4 cloves
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon siracha or any hot sauce more for serving
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or palm sugar
- salt to taste
Other ingredients for vegan pho
- 100 grams flat rice noodles or thai rice sticks
- 4 baby carrots, peeled, halved and sauteed lightly
- 100 grams tofu cubed and toasted
- 1/2 cup shredded cabbage
- 1/2 cup cubed bell peppers
- 1/2 cup sprouts
- fresh cilantro, basil, mint leaves
- lemon wedges to serve
Instructions
Pho Broth
- Heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a pan. Add halved onion and ginger piece. Cook in high heat for 3-4 minutes or until the onion and ginger char well
- Now add 3 cups stock, whole spices, shredded or cubed veggies.
- Next add tamari, chili paste or any hot sauce like siracha, brown sugar and salt to taste. Bring to a boil.
- Cover and simmer for 5-6 minutes.
- Strain the veggies and keep aside the broth until use.
Preparing the veggies & noodles
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a skillet. Add shredded cabbage and saute for 2 minutes.
- Add tofu cubes to the same oil and toast until crispy.
- Cube the peppers, carrots and saute for a minute if preferred.
- Prepare noodles as per package instructions. I soaked the rice sticks in hot water for 3-4 minutes.
- Drain the softened noodles, add few drops of oil and toss. Keep covered until use.
Assemble & Serve Vegetarian Pho
- Keep the prepared veggies ready in a plate.
- Also keep sprouts ready.
- Into a serving bowl place a portion of noodles, prepared veggies, tofu.
- Pour hot broth over it.
- Add fresh herbs, sprouts, more tofu, lemon wedges and finally a spoon of hot sauce or chili paste.
- Serve vegan pho immedietly.
Notes
- You can add mushrooms in broth for deep earthy flavor.
- If rice sticks are not available use any variety of noodles except ramen.
- You can double the recipe.
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