A Plant-Based Pho That Rivals the Classic

The best bowls of pho I’ve had have been intensely savory with a faint sweetness, fragrant from warm spices, and rich enough that a sheen of beef or chicken fat typically floats on the surface. To capture those same qualities without meat, I rely on a few techniques: mushrooms do triple duty—mushroom broth forms the base, reserved stems deepen it, and sauteed beech and shiitake caps go in just before serving—for layered umami. A quick scallion-garlic oil drizzled over each bowl adds the unctuous finish that makes pho so satisfying.

Info

• Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Total time: 2 hours
• Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (12-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained well
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 star anise pods
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 yellow onions (about 1 pound), unpeeled and quartered through the stems
• 1 large piece fresh ginger (about 5 ounces), sliced into thick coins
• 4 cups fresh shiitake mushrooms (about 1 pound), sliced, stems trimmed and reserved
• 2 clusters beech mushrooms (about 10 ounces), stems trimmed and reserved
• 1 (32-ounce) container mushroom broth
• 1 ripe Asian pear, halved, cored and stemmed
• Kosher salt
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch scallions (about 3 ounces), thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeño, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 3 cups mung bean sprouts
• 1 small bunch fresh Thai basil
• 1 pound fresh rice stick noodles (“bánh phở tươi” on the package; see Cook’s Note)
• Hoisin sauce and sriracha, for serving

Instructions

1. Slice the tofu in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces—you should end up with about 20 squarish slabs. Line a large plate or small baking sheet with a few layers of paper towels and arrange the tofu on top in a single layer as much as possible. Cover with another few layers of paper towels and press gently so the towels begin to cling to the tofu. Let it dry at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, or refrigerate overnight.
2. Set a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat. Add the peppercorns, coriander seeds, cinnamon sticks and star anise and toast, stirring and turning occasionally, until the spices are intensely fragrant, about 2 minutes. Carefully pour in 1/4 cup of the vegetable oil. Add the yellow onion, ginger and the reserved shiitake and beech mushroom stems. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and beginning to blacken in spots, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Slowly add the mushroom broth, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the pear, 1 tablespoon salt and 12 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, about 20 minutes, then reduce to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and continue cooking until the broth is dark brown and deeply flavorful, about 45 minutes more.
4. While the broth simmers, pour 1/2 cup vegetable oil into a large heavy-bottomed skillet and heat over medium-high until hot and shimmering, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and immediately add the garlic, scallions and a generous pinch of salt to the hot oil. Stir to combine, then keep stirring until the scallions are slightly wilted but still bright green, about 1 minute. Transfer the scallion-garlic oil to a small bowl and let cool to room temperature.
5. Let the skillet cool slightly, then add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and heat over medium-high until shimmering. Season the tofu slices with salt and pepper. Add half the tofu to the hot oil and cook until well browned and lightly crisp, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a large plate. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and cook the remaining tofu; transfer to the plate.
6. Tear the beech mushrooms into smaller clusters (some will separate completely, which is fine) and add them to the skillet along with the shiitake mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are well browned and tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to the plate with the tofu.
7. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve set over a large saucepan, then discard the solids (you should have 8 to 10 cups of broth). Taste and add more salt if needed. The broth should be deeply savory and well seasoned, since the rice noodles are unsalted. Cover the saucepan and keep the broth hot over low heat.
8. Rinse the stockpot or Dutch oven quickly, fill it halfway with water, cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
9. On a small serving plate, arrange the red onion, jalapeño, lime wedges, bean sprouts and Thai basil.
10. Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook, stirring quickly, until they lose their shape and almost wilt, about 5 seconds. Drain well. Working quickly, divide the noodles among 4 large serving bowls. If the noodles become too sticky, rinse them briefly under hot water.
11. Top the noodles with the beech mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms and tofu. Raise the heat under the broth to high and bring to a strong simmer. Ladle some of the hot broth into each bowl. Drizzle a heaping tablespoon of the scallion-garlic oil into each bowl and finish with black pepper. Serve immediately with the plate of toppings, hoisin sauce and sriracha alongside. Any leftover scallion-garlic oil can be kept in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Notes

Fresh rice stick noodles are sold in the refrigerated section of most Southeast Asian grocery stores, but you can also use 12 ounces of good-quality dried flat rice noodles and prepare them according to the package instructions.