This vegan rice noodle soup is inspired by flavors of traditional phở thanks to cinnamon, clove, and star anise. You’ll love this rich vegan soup recipe.
This recipe is not an authentic phở recipe, though it is a nod to the rich, aromatic flavors of phở. It’s completely vegan, though the broth is still bursting with flavor.
When I order phở, I typically go for beef phở or bún bò huế. This vegan noodle soup recipe is a nod to the flavors found in those soups: star anise, lemongrass, and cloves. I’ve found when I try to create a vegan version of a meat dish, the hardest part is getting the richness. The depth of flavor that comes from roasting bones or the fattiness from the meat can be hard to achieve in a meat-free dish.
Fortunately, this broth–thanks to ample spices and lots of aromatics–is anything but thin or dull. One big key to this soup broth is charring the aromatics before adding the water. The smokiness will add complexity to the broth flavor.
How to make a good, rich vegan soup broth:
The most important part of a good vegan soup broth is the aromatics. This vegan soup broth has three steps of aromatics and spices.
First, the fresh aromatics. In this recipe, you’ll use:
- A whole head of garlic
- A large shallot
- Lots of ginger
- Smashed lemongrass
- The white parts of scallions
As you can see in the photo, I don’t bother peeling any of the aromatics because there’s really no need to. The paper from the shallot will add a darker color to the broth. Since you’re discarding all the solids anyway, save yourself the trouble of peeling. For the lemongrass and ginger, you do want to smash them lightly with the back of your knife to help release all the flavor more quickly.
For the dry aromatics, you use:
- Cinnamon sticks
- Star anise
- Cloves
- Peppercorns
In this case, I used pink peppercorns but you can try this with black or even green peppercorns to play with the flavor profile.
To prepare the broth, start by searing the fresh aromatics until they begin to develop a char. Pour in water and bring to a boil. Then in a dry skillet, add the cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and peppercorns and cook on high heat for 1 minute until very fragrant. Pour the dry aromatics into the boiling broth (and enjoy that amazing sizzling and popping sound!). Add a big pinch of brown sugar and then simmer for 45 minutes. The longer it simmers the better!
From there, strain the broth into a large bowl through a sieve and discard the solids.
How to make the soup:
Once your broth is strained, prepare the soup. Wipe out the pot used for the stock and sauté sliced onion and then add some sliced mushrooms. I used a mix of shiitake and cremini, though you can use whatever mushrooms you like best!
Pour in the reserved broth and bring to a boil. Simmer as you finish the rest of the soup.
Cook the noodles and then divide them into bowls. I used the same skillet I used for the aromatics to crisp up some oyster mushrooms for textural contrast. And once that’s ready, get your garnishes ready. You can stick with traditional phở toppings, like:
- Bean sprouts
- Lime wedges
- Thai basil
- Sliced jalapeño or bird’s eye chili
- Thinly sliced white onions
I used what I had on hand, which was:
- Thai basil
- Minced scallions
- Sliced jalapeño
- Micro cilantro
Of course, you should get creative with the toppings and use what you like best! You could even try it with thinly sliced daikon radish and carrots, too!
Looking for more vegan recipes? Check my archives!
If you made this vegan rice noodle soup recipe, please rate the recipe below and leave a comment to tell me how you liked it! If you take a picture of it, please tag me on Instagram so I can feature you in my feed!
Vegan Rice Noodle Soup Recipe
Equipment
- 2 Large pots
- Small skillet
- Sieve
- Large bowl
Ingredients
Broth:
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 shallot quartered
- 1 head of garlic halved crosswise
- 3" piece of ginger roughly chopped and smashed lightly with the back of your knife
- .25 ounce lemongrass tough outer layers discarded and then lightly smashed with your knife
- 6 scallions white parts only
- 10 cups water
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- 5–6 star anise pods
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt plus more if needed
Soup:
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil divided
- 12 ounces rice noodles medium width
- 1 yellow onion peeled and sliced into half-moons
- 12 ounces mushrooms shiitake, cremini, or a mix
- 4 ounces blue oyster or maitake mushrooms torn
- Salt
Garnishes:
- 6 scallions greens only, minced
- Thai basil
- Sliced jalapeño
- Cilantro or micro cilantro
- Bean sprouts
- Lime wedges
Instructions
Cook the broth aromatics:
- Heat the oil in a large soup pot over high heat. Add the shallot, garlic, and ginger, cut side down and cook without moving for 3–4 minutes until the aromatics begin to char. Add the lemongrass and scallions and cook another minute or two.
- Pour in the water and bring to a boil.
Toast the spices:
- Place a small skillet on the stovetop over high heat. Add the cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and black peppercorns and cook, swirling the spices in the skillet for 1–2 minutes until very fragrant. Pour the hot spices directly into the boiling water and wipe out the skillet (you will need it for the mushrooms later on).
Simmer the broth:
- Add the sugar and salt to the broth. Reduce the broth to low and simmer for 45 minutes.
Strain the broth:
- After the broth has simmered, turn off the heat. Place a sieve over a large bowl and pour the broth into the sieve. Discard the solids. Wipe out the pot and return it to the stovetop.
Prepare the soup:
- Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in the soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion and cook for 6–7 minutes. Add the 12 ounces mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 12–15 minutes—season with salt to taste.
- Pour in the reserved stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer as you finish the rest of the soup ingredients.
Cook the noodles:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the rice noodles according to package instructions. Drain, rinse and divide between four bowls.
Prepare the oyster mushrooms:
- In the skillet used to toast the spices, heat another tablespoon of neutral oil. Add the mushrooms and cook without moving for 3–4 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and cook an additional 3–4 minutes. Season with salt and turn off the heat.
To serve:
- Ladle the hot broth over the noodles in each bowl. Pile the crispy oyster mushrooms on top and garnish them with Thai basil, scallions, jalapeño, and any desired garnish. Enjoy!
Was hoping to read some comments on people making this, because I am tonight.
Feel free to let me know if you have any questions as you’re cooking! Hope you love it as much as we did!