Vegan Pho Broth / Soup Recipe - Choosing Chia (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.

This vegan pho broth gets its rich, umami-packed flavor from a medley of well-toasted spices, charred veg, dried mushrooms, and miso for a soul-edifying soup.

Broth - the soul of Pho. Beef bones play a crucial role in influencing the quality of the broth. Combined with spices such as ginger, charred onions, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and coriander seeds, the broth gains a distinct aroma.

However, it's possible to make a vegetarian variation of pho, as well, by swapping the bone broth for vegetable broth and the meat for a plant protein like tofu. "Pho is a very nutritious dish," says nutritionist Rachael Hartley.

Outside of the meat, the basic flavors of pho are pretty simple: charred onions and ginger (or a bit of sweetness, smoky depth, and pungency), star anise, cinnamon, cloves, and occasionally other spices (for aroma), fish sauce (for salt and its savory umami qualities), sugar (for sweetness, duh), and a slew of stir-in ...

Vietnamese pho is all about the broth! In this authentic recipe, beef bones, fish sauce, star anise, and ginger simmer for at least 6 hours, creating a complex, aromatic broth that may not be quick, but it's certainly delicious.

Pro – Pho Has A Lot of Health Benefits

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.

Every bowl of pho contains a rich blend of calcium, phosphorus, and iron to help your bones, dentin, teeth enamel, and may even help to restore minerals in your teeth. Almost all of the processed foods these days remove the fiber your body needs for a healthy functional digestive system.

A few notes before you begin: (1) Parboiling the bones makes our broth clear, and you do not lose any flavor. (2) Keep your broth at a low simmer.

Add salt and sugar and Vietnamese vegetable powder. Add roasted onion and ginger and boil for about 30 min (no lid) on high until you get a nice boil and then set to a LOW simmer for 3-10 hours (uncovered). (Occasionally remove any scum or impurities from top of broth without stirring too much).

Is pho broth good for your gut? ›

Traditionally made pho naturally contains anti-inflammatory, nutrient-dense ingredients that promote the detoxification of toxins, fight viral and bacterial infections, aid in digestion and supply the body with beneficial enzymes.

It is important to finish your soup when eating pho. Leaving broth in your bowl is considered wasteful in Vietnamese culture. If you are full and cannot finish your soup, you can ask for a takeaway container to bring the leftovers home.

Experts also suggest that if pho is used for breakfast, then you should avoid salt for the rest of the day. To avoid imbalanced nutrition, you should not eat pho too often, and you should switch up diet with other food products. Any food, no matter how good it is, won't be good for your body if consumed too much.

Chicken pho generally has the least fat and is a good source of lean protein. If you're just here for the beef, round cuts are the leanest, followed by brisket and flank.

The more protein you have, the fewer carbs you're going to consume. Pho is a great weight loss dish with the only real concern being sodium. This doesn't make it unhealthy. A single bowl of pho can be an important part of a balanced diet.

Although these spices are unique to the Pho flavor adding them too early will make the broth too potent and bitter. This combination varies from recipe to recipe but for mine I use a combination of cinnamon sticks, star anise, peppercorns, cardamon, coriander seeds, and cloves.

Protein & Fiber

Traditional pho is served with thinly sliced beef, but it can be made with any type of meat. Including a serving of meat gives you added protein and combining it with plenty of vegetables gives you a healthy dose of fiber, both of which help you to feel satiated longer.

Known as sa sung in Vietnamese, the peanut worm is high in nutrition. The worm was once used in making pho (rice noodle soup) to add to the flavor of the broth.