30-minute quick and easy vegan pho recipe - Rhubarbarians (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient in pho broth? ›

Sa sung—dried peanut worms—have been described as the secret ingredient of great pho.

The broth is made from charred vegetables and toasted spices to create that complex flavor. It's then served with rice noodles along with a variety of herbs and fresh mung bean sprouts. The recipe is delicious and naturally gluten-free.

Fish sauce, a traditional ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine, adds a distinctive umami flavor to the broth, enhancing the savory taste and imparting a subtle hint of saltiness. Charred ginger introduces a zingy flavor while helping to neutralize any meaty odors. Meanwhile, charred onions bring a deep sweetness.

The key to this authentic Vietnamese soup is the flavorful broth that simmers for at least six hours before serving over rice noodles.

What is Sá Sùng? The secret flavor bomb in that bowl of Phở They're marine (sea) worms that were first described in 1827 by a French zoologist. There are over 140 different kinds of these delicious flavor bombs, and some are teeny tiny (2 millimeters long) while others can be as long as 28 inches.

Pho is very nutritious. From its ingredients, it's been shown to reduce inflammation and improve joint health. If you suffer from something like chronic pain or arthritis, you may want to entertain the idea of enjoying more pho. The broth particularly can be very anti-inflammation.

If you compare the two soups side by side, the noodles in pho are soft and translucent, and the noodles in ramen are firm and chewy. Pho broth is thin and clear, and ramen broth is usually dark and cloudy.

When it comes to proper etiquette when eating pho, one of the most important aspects is slurping. Slurping noodles and broth helps cool down hot food and enhances the dish's flavor.

Achieving Clear Pho Broth

The parboiling or blanching of the bones and beef removes much of this scum. Scum or "impurities" naturally floats to the top when you make any kind of stock using meat and bones. A fine mesh skimmer can remove the scum and much of the fat very quickly and easily.

The one thing to be extra conscientious with pho is that it's very high in sodium, which can cause increased blood pressure and contribute to cardiovascular issues. 1 (Some bowls have more than 1,000 mg, which is practically the entire allotment of recommended sodium intake for the day.)

What is the brown stuff in pho? ›

What is the brown sauce in Vietnamese restaurants? Hoisin sauce! It's a sweet kind of "plum" sauce ish texture that's often used for dipping meat in. Many people use it to put into their pho to amp up the flavour as well.

Black cardamom, a seedpod about the size of an olive pit, gives pho its savory depth. The spice smells of menthol and smoke, and it imparts a surprisingly earthy aroma. Another pho signature spice, star anise, is a brown eight-pointed pod that lends a hint of licorice to the broth.

Pho is a type of Vietnamese soup that usually consists of bone broth, rice noodles, spices, and thinly sliced meat (usually beef). Though “pho” technically refers to the noodles and not the soup itself, most people consider the dish a singular unit.

One very important note for restaurant pho is that the tendons are never cooked/simmer together in the pho broth. Tendons are always cooked separately in restaurant environment. If we cook tendons together in the broth, then the collagen will come out as gelatin, making the broth murky and turning it into aspic.

Spices: There are 5 important spices in pho broth — star anise, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, and coriander seeds. I really recommend using the whole (not ground) spices if possible, which we will briefly toast to bring out extra flavor.

Pho broth is traditionally made with beef or chicken bones and a variety of spices and aromatics, including star anise, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and onions. This gives Pho broth its unique flavor and aroma, which sets it apart from other types of broth.

Pho Broth Spices and Other ingredients

The spices are toasted to bring out the flavour before adding into the pot. And the ginger and onion are charred to add a subtle smokey flavour into the broth – a secret little step that adds that extra something-something to make this pho recipe authentic and traditional!