Vietnamese chicken and noodle soup with plenty of spices and herbs – vegan!
I first had this exotic soup about four years ago on Prenzlauer Allee in Berlin. I was amazed by the abundance of Asian spices compared to the pale Jewish chicken soup!
Pho soup is rich in flavors, bold and delicate at the same time; This is not surprising, given that fine Vietnamese cuisine is influenced by French cuisine; After all, only good can come from such a successful match.
So what exactly is Pho soup?
The base is a soup stock rich in vegetables and Asian spices such as star anise and fennel seeds, which is cooked comfortably with whole chicken or pieces of beef.
The traditional recipe calls for a few tablespoons of fish sauce, which is easy to veganize. I will dedicate a separate post to vegan fish sauce, but this recipe is “all-inclusive” – the vegan fish sauce is already inside!
Strain the soup, place a portion of rice noodles in a bowl, top with plant-based protein, pour soup on top, and add green onions and sprouts to taste. Next, add coriander leaves, Thai or regular basil, mint, red chili, sriracha sauce, hoisin sauce, and last but not least: rice crackers mix! This crunchy snack, seasoned with seaweed and wasabi, will take this soup to the next level.
Enjoy, and let me know how it turned out 🌶😋❣️
Soup
- Oil for brushing
- 1 Onion peeled and cut into thick slices.
- 1 carrot, roughly sliced
- 1 celery stick, roughly chopped
- Celery bulb – washed well, peeled, and sliced into thick slices optional
- unpeeled ginger about 5 cm in size – sliced into thick slices
- 20 cilantro stems, with leaves
- 5 anise star
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- ¼ tsp Whole black peppercorns
- 2-3 tsp kelp granules wakame or any seaweed
- 1 Tablespoon dulse seaweed powder or any seaweed
- 3 cloves crushed garlic
- 3 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 4 cubes pineapple, forsen or canned optional
- 1-2 Tablespoon coconut sugar or white sugar
- 1 Tablespoon white miso
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoon mild oil canola, corn
- 2 liter water
- salt by taste
Noodles and Plant-Based Protein
- 50 gram bean curd (yuba wings) or one pack of tofu (about 300 grams)
- 300-350 gram dried rice boodles
Toppings
- 2-3 stems Scallion (green onion), cut into thin slices.
- 2 cups bean sprouts by taste
- basil leaves Thai basil or standard basil, by taste
- cilantro leaves by taste
- mint leaves by taste
- red chili, thinly sliced or chopped by taste
- Hoisin sauce by taste
- Sriracha sauce by taste
- 1 Lemon or lime cut into wedges by taste
- Japanese Rice Crackers Mix optional, by taste
Soup
- Brush the bottom of a soup pot with oil and heat.
- Add onion, carrot, ginger, and celery bulb and fry for about two minutes until they are nicely browned (almost black). Turn over with tongs and sear for about two more minutes.
- Add all the other ingredients to the pot except the salt: oil, celery stick, seaweed, shiitake, coriander stalks, cinnamon, black pepper, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, anise, garlic, pineapple cubes, miso, soy sauce, and sugar. Next, add two tablespoons of oil and water.
- Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cover.
- Cook at a gentle boil for about an hour and a half.
- When the soup is ready, strain, return to the pot, and add salt to taste.
For Serving
- Bring the soup to a boil, meanwhile prepare the Yuba wings and noodles:
Noodles and Plant-Based Protein
- Soak the yuba wings in boiling water for about five minutes, wash and strain, squeeze well, cut them into three pieces, stir-fry in a bit of oil until it turns golden, and set aside.
- If you use tofu – slice or tear it into chunks and brown it in a bit of oil.
- Prepare the noodles according to the manufacturer's instructions and strain.
- Place noodles in bowls. Put Yuba or tofu on top and pour the soup over it.
Toppings
- Add to taste: sprouts, green onion, coriander leaves, mint, basil, red chili, sriracha, and hoisin sauce.
- Squeeze lemon or lime to taste and serve immediately with rice crackers mix.
- Since the soup is well kept in the freezer, I recommend doubling the quantities.
- I recommend putting the spices and seaweed in a small spice bag. It’s not mandatory, but it will make it easier for you to use the cooked vegetables, mushrooms, and pineapple for other uses. (with some olive oil or mayonnaise, salt, and black pepper – for example)
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