Easy Vegetarian Pho (Pho Chay)

5 from 2 votes

Spice up your life with this easy vegetarian pho. Every bite delivers an explosion of comforting flavors, making it the perfect cure for winter blues. While this recipe isn't 100% authentic, it still captures the same signature pho flavor without any meat. Plus, while traditional pho takes a whole day to cook, you can have this recipe ready in under an hour.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Keyword: pho chay, vegetarian pho

Servings:

Calories: 353kcal

Author: Christine Johnson

Ingredients

2 tbsp coriander seeds
4 whole cloves
4 whole star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 quart vegetable stock
1 onion small, peeled and quartered
1 thumb ginger about a 3-inch chunk, peeled and smashed with side of knife
2 tbsp ketjap manis dark and sweet Indonesian soy sauce
2 cups bok choy chopped
1 cup edamame frozen and shelled
2 oz rice noodles or cellophane/bean thread noodles
1 tbsp cilantro chopped- for garnish (optional)
1 tbsp green onions chopped, white parts only, minced- for garnish (optional)
1/2 lime cut into wedges
* Sriracha chili sauce to taste optional

Instructions

Heat a cast-iron skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Add the coriander seeds, cloves, star anise, and cinnamon stick and toast until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Immediately spoon out the spices into a bowl to avoid burning them and set aside.
In a large pot, add the toasted spices and all ingredients from stock through ketjap manis and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 20 minutes.
Taste the broth and add more ketjap manis, if needed. Strain the broth, reserving the solids. Chop the onion and ginger and add them back to the pot with the bok choy and edamame and cook for 4-5 more minutes. Remove from heat.
Add the noodles and allow to sit for a few minutes while they soften.
To serve, ladle the broth into bowls. Divide the bok choy, edamame, and noodles evenly into each bowl. Sprinkle on the garnishes and add sriracha to taste. Squeeze lime juice to taste over the top of your bowl before eating.

Nutrition