Vietnamese · medium · 60 min · serves 4
How to make pho vegan
Short answer
Replace beef bone broth, sliced beef, fish sauce with charred onion-ginger + shiitake + kombu broth, seared king oyster mushroom or seitan, vegan fish sauce or soy + lime. The method is unchanged and takes about 60 minutes for 4 servings.
Key takeaways
- Non-vegan parts: beef bone broth, sliced beef, fish sauce.
- Beef broth → Charred onion-ginger + shiitake + kombu broth: Char is essential
- Beef → Seared king oyster mushroom or seitan: Slice thin
- Fish sauce → Vegan fish sauce or soy + lime: Season at the end
- Total time 60 min · medium · serves 4.
What makes the classic version non-vegan
- Beef bone broth
- Sliced beef
- Fish sauce
Swap table
| Instead of | Use | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Beef broth | Charred onion-ginger + shiitake + kombu broth | Char is essential |
| Beef | Seared king oyster mushroom or seitan | Slice thin |
| Fish sauce | Vegan fish sauce or soy + lime | Season at the end |
Method
- 1Char halved onion and ginger directly over a flame until blackened.
- 2Simmer with star anise, cinnamon, clove, coriander seed, kombu and dried shiitake for 40 minutes.
- 3Strain and season with vegan fish sauce, soy and a little sugar.
- 4Blanch rice noodles and slice the mushrooms thin.
- 5Assemble with herbs, beansprouts, lime and chilli.
The one thing people get wrong
Toast the whole spices dry before they go in the pot — untoasted spices give a flat, medicinal broth.
Frequently asked questions
- Can pho be made vegan?
- Yes. Replace beef bone broth, sliced beef, fish sauce with charred onion-ginger + shiitake + kombu broth, seared king oyster mushroom or seitan, vegan fish sauce or soy + lime. The method stays essentially the same and takes about 60 minutes.
- What is the hardest part of veganizing pho?
- Toast the whole spices dry before they go in the pot — untoasted spices give a flat, medicinal broth.
- How long does vegan pho take?
- About 60 minutes for 4 servings — a medium recipe.
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