Vegan Pho | Asian Noodle Soup
This vegan pho is a simple, filling Asian noodle soup built on a fragrant broth of star anise, cinnamon, ginger and garlic, loaded with rice noodles, mushrooms and fresh toppings. It captures the warming, aromatic character of the classic Vietnamese pho, but skips the meat entirely, so you get all the depth of flavor from spices and a good vegetable broth instead. If you want one bowl that feels both light and deeply comforting, this is it.
I made this as part of my ongoing series of veganizing popular traditional recipes from world cuisines. Pho is usually made with poultry, pork or beef, but I turned it fully plant-based and it lost none of its soul. It has a subtle spicy kick too, and I will admit that spiciness had quite an effect on me the first time I tried this version. If you love this kind of cooking, you will find plenty more in my Asian cuisine guide.
What makes this pho work without meat
The heart of any pho is the broth, and this one gets its identity from two things you dry-roast at the very start: a cinnamon stick and a star anise. Toasting whole spices in a dry pan for about a minute wakes up their aromatic oils and gives the broth that unmistakable warm, slightly sweet backbone before any liquid goes in. From there, softened onion, ginger and garlic build a savory base, and the soy sauce or coconut aminos add the salty, umami note that meat broth would normally provide. That is why you do not miss the animal protein here: the flavor is coming from spices, alliums and a proper simmer, not from bones.
The ingredients, and how to choose them
Nothing here is exotic, but a few choices make a real difference. A good homemade veggie broth is the foundation, so use the best one you have. For the noodles, you can use any type you like, but I prefer the extra-large rice noodles for this recipe because they are more filling and hold the broth beautifully. If you would rather use fresh noodles, homemade linguine or other vegan fresh noodles work well too.
- Whole spices: one star anise and one cinnamon stick do the aromatic heavy lifting. Whole beats ground here because you toast them and let them infuse.
- Mushrooms: sliced button mushrooms give body. Stir-frying them first is optional, but I love the lightly fried flavor they bring.
- Carrot: cut into noodle-shaped strands with a julienne peeler so it cooks fast and mixes in with the rice noodles.
- Heat: sriracha in the broth plus a sliced fresh chili pepper on top. Start with a teaspoon of sriracha and add more to taste.
- Fresh finish: cilantro or fresh parsley, chopped green onion, and a lime wedge to squeeze in at the table. I have a difficult relationship with cilantro myself, but I do tolerate it in small amounts in Asian dishes.
How to make it, step by step
The method matters as much as the ingredients here. To get the most out of every flavor, I recommend following the recipe just as it is written and not skipping the stir-frying part. Start by dry-roasting the cinnamon stick and star anise in a large saucepan for about a minute. Add the coconut oil and onion and stir-fry a couple of minutes, then the ginger and garlic for two minutes more. Pour in the vegetable broth, soy sauce or coconut aminos and sriracha, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes so the whole thing turns fragrant.
Meanwhile, prep the rest. Soak the rice noodles in water for about 20 minutes so they are ready to finish in the hot broth. Stir-fry the mushrooms in a small pan for about 4 minutes. You can skip this and simply drop them into the soup, but that lightly fried flavor is worth the extra pan. When the broth is ready, add the noodles, mushrooms, julienned carrot, cilantro and sliced chili and boil for just 3 to 5 more minutes. Top with green onion and serve each bowl with a lime wedge.
Tips for the best bowl
- Do not skip the toasting. That first minute of dry-roasting the whole spices is what separates a fragrant pho from a flat one.
- Give the broth its full simmer. The 25 minutes on low heat is when the spices and aromatics actually infuse. Rushing it leaves you with thin flavor.
- Undercook the noodles slightly. They keep softening in the hot broth, so pulling them at 3 to 5 minutes keeps them from going mushy.
- Season at the end. Taste before serving and adjust with more soy sauce for salt or more sriracha for heat. The lime at the table brightens everything.
- Add the fresh toppings last. Cilantro, chili and green onion should stay vibrant, so they go in right at the finish.
What to serve with vegan pho
Pho is a full meal on its own, but it plays nicely with a light Asian side. A tofu banh mi makes a lovely pairing if you want to lean into the Vietnamese theme, which is exactly what I reached for after posting that recipe. If you are in a soup mood and want to explore more brothy bowls, my clear veggie noodle soup is a gentler, everyday cousin to this one. For more meal ideas in this style, browse the full vegan noodle recipes collection.
Make-ahead and storage
This pho is best assembled fresh, but you can get ahead of it. Make the spiced broth up to 3 days in advance and keep it in the fridge in a sealed container, then reheat and add fresh noodles and toppings when you are ready to eat. I would keep the rice noodles separate rather than storing them in the broth, since they keep absorbing liquid and turn soft. If you have leftovers of a full bowl, store them covered in the fridge for a day or two and expect the noodles to be softer on day two. For a whole rotation of comforting bowls to batch through the week, take a look at more of my noodle recipes and warming soups.
If you make this vegan pho, I would love to know how the broth turned out for you and whether you toasted the spices or went heavier on the sriracha like I sometimes do. Please leave a star rating and drop a comment below with your bowl and any tweaks you made.
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Vegan Pho Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 6 cups vegetable broth homemade
- 1 package rice noodles extra-large
- 2 cups button mushrooms sliced
- 1 carrot julienned into noodle shapes
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce or coconut aminos
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp sriracha or more to taste
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 yellow onion julienned
- 1 bunch cilantro or fresh parsley
- 1 chili pepper sliced
- 1 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 lime cut into wedges
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 handful green onion chopped, for topping
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the cinnamon stick and star anise and dry-roast them, stirring to prevent burning, for about a minute.
- Add 1 Tbsp coconut oil and the sliced onion. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes.
- Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Pour in the vegetable broth, soy sauce or coconut aminos, and sriracha, bring to a boil, then lower the heat.
- Simmer for about 25 minutes on low heat.
- Meanwhile, prepare the noodles and toppings.
- Soak the rice noodles in water for about 20 minutes.
- Stir-fry the mushrooms in a small pan for about 4 minutes. You can skip this step and add them straight to the soup, but the lightly fried mushroom flavor is lovely in this recipe.
- Add the noodles, mushrooms, carrot, cilantro, and sliced chili pepper to the soup. Boil for 3-5 more minutes.
- Top with green onions and serve with a lime wedge.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This version is fully plant-based, made with vegetable broth, rice noodles, mushrooms, carrot, onion, garlic, ginger and warming spices. Traditional pho uses poultry, pork or beef broth, but here all the flavor comes from dry-roasted star anise and cinnamon, aromatics and soy sauce or coconut aminos. Just double-check that your soy sauce and broth are both vegan.
You can use any noodles you like, but extra-large rice noodles are my favorite for this soup because they are more filling and soak up the broth well. Soak them in water for about 20 minutes, then finish them in the hot broth for 3 to 5 minutes. Homemade linguine or other fresh vegan noodles also work if that is what you have.
Toasting the whole spices in a dry pan for about a minute before adding any liquid wakes up their aromatic oils. This is what gives the broth that deep, warm, slightly sweet pho character. Skipping this step leaves the broth tasting flat, so it is worth the extra minute.
It has a subtle spicy kick from sriracha in the broth and a fresh chili pepper on top. To make it milder, start with just a teaspoon of sriracha, leave out the sliced chili, and add more heat only at the table. To make it hotter, add extra sriracha or keep the chili seeds in.
Yes. Make the spiced broth up to 3 days ahead and store it sealed in the fridge, then reheat and add fresh noodles and toppings when you serve. Keep the rice noodles separate from the broth so they do not turn mushy. Add the cilantro, green onion, chili and lime right before eating so they stay fresh and bright.
No, it is optional. You can simply add the sliced mushrooms straight to the soup and they will cook through. That said, stir-frying them for about 4 minutes first gives them a lightly fried flavor that adds real depth to the bowl, so I recommend it when you have a spare pan.
Made this today and loved it! It’s so simple and healthy. Next is your miso soup recipe. 🙂
Let me know if you like the miso soup too! 😀