top of page

Kat's Pho

In the middle of 2017, when I decided to eat only plant-based food, I realised that one of my favourite soups will not be on my menu any more: Vietnamese Pho. This soup is based on a chicken or beef broth in which lots of animal parts and spices are boiled for hours.

I was on a mission to come up with a plant based pho. I call it kat's pho due to being my interpretation of a vietnamese style pho. 

I really like the plant based stock and usually make up a batch which is enough for 3 soups. If I have anything left over I freeze the stock in ice cube trays and use it in curries or pasta sauces, when ever I need a little bit more liquid. It just adds a tiny bit more "oomph" rather than adding plain water.

The stock is quite potent which I like. Once the veggies and rice noodles are added to the stock it gets milder. Due to rice noodles being very plain they dillute a lot of the flavour. But if you are not a fan of chilli, please use less chilli or leave it out to start with. You can always add fresh chilli to the soup to infuse 1-2 minutes before eating it. Don't forget to remove it before you eat to avoid accidental consumption-

Ingredients for the Stock

  • himalayan rock salt, finely ground

  • ground cinnamon

  • whole cloves

  • star anise

  • carrot

  • reddish

  • bay leaf

  • ginger root

  • apple

  • onion

  • chilli

Ingredients for the Stock

  • himalayan rock salt, finely ground

  • ground cinnamon

  • whole cloves

  • star anise

  • carrot

  • reddish (optional)

  • bay leaf

  • ginger root

  • apple

  • onion (if you are sensitive to onion leave it out)

  • chilli (optional)

Amounts to be Chopped for 1.5 Litres of Water, Serving 3 

  • 1 tsp himalayan rock salt, 

  • 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

  • 5 whole cloves

  • 4 star anise

  • 1 medium carrot 

  • 1/2 medium to small reddish

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 2.5 cm long piece of ginger root

  • 1/2 apple

  • 1/4 onion

  • 1 small deseeded chilli, optional (start with a 1/4 or half this amount if you don't like your food spicy)

​​

now add 1.5 litres of water, bring it to the boil and let it simmer, with the lid on for 1 hour. Strain the stock and keep warm. 

Ingredients for the Pho

  • tamari (gluten free soya sauce)

  • extra virgin coconut oil (use a good quality brand, it's worth it)

  • lime

  • bean sprouts, a handful per person

  • flat rice noodles

  • oyster mushroom, 1 per person

  • chilli

  • thai basil, coriander and/or mint are all perfect and can be used together if you like lots of fresh herbs

​​

Prepare Mushrooms

 

I believe any sort of mushroom would work here. I happen to like the king oyster mushroom due to its consistency and shape.

​

Cut the mushroom on the diagonal, pretty thinly. Then add 1/2 tsp of coconut oil and 1/4 tsp of tamari to the pan, per oyster-mushroom. Adjust these amounts to your liking and according to the mushrooms you use. Fry the mushroom slices until they reach the desired softness and colour. This can take 3-5 minutes depending on the heat you are using. I turn them a few times to make sure they are not burning or getting too dark. 

​

Once they are done, keep them aside. They will be thrown into the hot stock later-

Prepare Rice Noodles

  • bring a large pot of water to the boil, then turn it down to a simmer

  • add your rice noodles and stir them so that they do not stick to each other. Make sure you have enough water to cover them well. 

  • keep stirring and tasting. Every brand of rice noodles behaves differently, which means I cannot give you an exact time how long they will take, but approximately 3 1/2 minutes. 

  • while the noodles are simmering prepare a large bowl with very cold water, you can add a few ice cubes.

  • as soon as the noodles are done, strain them in a sieve and then add the noodles only, to the cold water. Use a large spoon to seperate them. This method helps keeping them  from sticking together. Once they are separated, strain them again and keep them aside.

Assembly

add to the bowl:

  • noodles, loose and seperated

  • herbs

  • chilli, optional

  • fried mushrooms

  • bean sprouts

  • hot stock

  • a squirt of lime

  • if you feel you need to adjust the flavour, I use tamari and siracha sauce (I know that's called cheating, because they use sugar in the siracha sauce)

  • try the soup first before you add anything, I actually think it does not need any more flavour-

​​

bon appetit!

bottom of page