Vegetarian Pho from Scratch (with Optional Beef for the Meat-Eaters)
Homemade vegetarian pho from scratch. Rice noodles - and whatever else you like - swim in a delicious, aromatic broth. Plus, pho is perfect for customizing to individual tastes. Freeze any leftover broth for easy homemade pho later on.
Ingredients
Broth:
12cupswater
3medium sweet onionspeeled and quartered
4medium carrotscut into 3-inch chunks
1medium bulb garlictop cut off and halved
1/2cupdried shiitake or porcini mushrooms
1stalk lemongrasshalved and smashed lightly
2thumb-size pieces of fresh gingersliced
3star anise
1teaspoonwhole cloves
1/2teaspoonblack peppercorns
1 6-inchcinnamon stick
2tablespoonsbrown sugar
Kosher salt and/or a few dashes of soy sauce to taste
For the soup:
Banh Pho flat rice noodles (1 to 2 ounces per serving), plus any of the following:
Cubed extra-firm tofu
Sliced mushrooms
Broccoli florets
Sliced carrots
Chopped baby bok choy
Very thinly sliced top round steakabout 1/8 pound per serving
Toppings:
Fresh Thai basil
Bean sprouts
Fresh jalapeno slices
Fresh lime wedges
Hoisin saucebe sure to find a vegetarian version
Sriracha sauce
Instructions
Make the broth:
Add all ingredients to a large stock pot and stir. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered for 45 minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool until safe to handle. Place a colander over a large bowl and pour broth into colander. Discard solids. Strain one more time to remove all the bits and pieces: Place a fine-mesh sieve over the stock pot and pour the both back into the pot, through the sieve. Taste, adding salt if desired. Return to the stove and bring to a boil.
Cook the noodles:
Either follow package directions, or, if no clear directions, bring a pot of water to boiling. Turn off heat. Add noodles to water and stir gently until softened, about 1 - 2 minutes. Strain noodles and rinse under cold water to prevent sticking.
Assemble your soup!
Add noodles to a large bowl. Top with vegetables, tofu, and/or beef, as desired. Carefully pour boiling-hot broth over the veggies/tofu/beef, taking care to dunk the beef under the broth so all of the beef cooks in the hot broth. The veggies will blanch in the broth, too, so they should be tender enough by the time you're ready to eat.