• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Dessert
    • Drinks
    • Main Dishes
    • Snacks
  • Wellness
  • ABOUT
  • Subscribe
  • Contact

Plantivore Kitchen | Lauryn Emilia logo

You are here: Home / Main Dishes / Easy Vegan Vegetable Pho

January 18, 2021

Easy Vegan Vegetable Pho

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This easy Veggie Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup) is comforting and flavorful thanks to spices and shiitake mushrooms. It’s a healthy, low-sodium alternative to takeout!

overhead view of vegan pho with vegetables in white bowl with chopsticks

In college, Jimmy and I would brave the rush hour LA traffic to drive down to Culver City and eat at our favorite restaurant, Pho Show, nearly every day (and sometimes twice a day)! The waiter knew our order by heart: the fresh spring rolls and veggie pho for me every time.

Ever since, Vietnamese has been one of my absolute favorite cuisines. There’s so many light and aromatic dishes, but pho is the ultimate classic. If you haven’t tried it, you need it in your life. The best part? It’s typically gluten-free and packed with veggies!

When we traveled to Vietnam, we knew we had to take cooking classes to learn more about the herbs and spices to recreate authentic dishes like pho. The spices in this pho like star anise and ginger are amazing for your immune system. Anytime we’re feeling under the weather or need an immune boost, this is the dish I go for!

You can add any veggies you like to customize your pho. I definitely recommend including shiitake mushrooms, bok choy, and broccoli. The shiitake mushrooms add the most delicious flavor to the broth, and mushrooms are just amazing for you. You could even make this mushroom steak and add it on top of the pho. Enjoy this flavorful, comforting soup with a cup of oolong tea!

This recipe is:

  • vegan + vegetarian
  • gluten-free
  • refined sugar-free
  • anti-inflammatory
  • oil-free
  • dairy-free
  • corn-free
  • soy-free
  • peanut-free
overhead view of vegan pho with vegetables in white bowl with gold spoon

Recipe FAQs:

What can I use if I don’t have all these spices?

If you do not have star anise, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, white pepper, and coriander, you can instead use 2 teaspoon of five spice powder. I’ve found it’s the closest way to still get the flavor!

What toppings should I add?

I love adding lime, cilantro, and jalapeño, but if you don’t like cilantro or spice then you can skip those! I definitely recommend squeezing a wedge of lime.

Is vegetable pho healthy?

Yes! This pho is packed with so many nutrients thanks to tons of veggies, herbs, and spices. If you’re eating low-carb or are concerned about the glycemic index, I recommend glass noodles, zoodles, kelp noodles, or miracle noodles!

overhead view of vegan pho with vegetables in white bowl with chopsticks

Vegan Vegetable Pho

Plantivore Kitchen
This easy Veggie Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup) is comforting and flavorful thanks to spices and shiitake mushrooms. It's a healthy, low-sodium alternative to takeout!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Course Dinner
Cuisine Vietnamese
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

Broth

  • 6 cups vegetable broth low-sodium
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 inch ginger root minced
  • 3 star anise* whole
  • 3 cloves* whole
  • 1 stick cinnamon* Vietnamese, or ⅛ teaspoon powder
  • 5 pods cardamom*
  • ½ teaspoon coriander* ground
  • 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt to taste, depending if broth has salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon white pepper* optional

Add-ins

  • 1 package rice noodles or glass noodles white, brown, or forbidden rice
  • 2 bok choy chopped
  • 1 head broccoli chopped
  • 5 shiitake mushrooms sliced
  • 2 carrots sliced
  • 2 green onions sliced
  • 1 jalapeño optional topping, sliced
  • 6 sprigs cilantro optional topping, chopped
  • 1 lime optional topping, juice
  • ⅓ cup bean sprouts optional

Instructions
 

  • Prep all your spices and veggies. Add the garlic and ginger to a large pot with a splash of water over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes, stirring until lightly browned. Add star anise, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, and cardamom to the pot and continue to stir for 2-3 more minutes. (Tip: I like to add a stainless steel colander to the pot, then add the spices on top for easy removal)
  • Add veggie broth, coconut sugar, rice vinegar, and coconut aminos. Bring to a boil, then stir, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer for 20 minutes. If you notice the broth reducing too much, you can add a bit more veggie broth.
  • While broth is simmering, prepare your noodles according to the package. I like to add ours to a large bowl first, then boil water in an electric kettle and pour the boiling water over the noodles. Let cook until al dente (you want them to be cooked, but not too soft since we'll be pouring the pho broth over them).
  • Steam the veggies you'd like to add (bok choy, broccoli, mushrooms, carrots) for 5-7 minutes, or cook for 5-7 minutes in a pan with a splash of veggie broth over medium heat.
  • Use a slotted spoon to remove spices from the broth, or remove the colander if you used one. Test your broth and add salt and white pepper as needed.
  • Assemble your pho bowls! Add noodles and veggies to a bowl, then ladle broth over it. Garnish with your choice of green onions, cilantro, jalapeño, bean sprouts… anything you like! I recommend squeezing juice from ¼ lime into each bowl.

Notes

  • If you do not have those *spices* available, you can purchase 5 spice powder instead and use 2 teaspoon of that. 5 spice powder contains cinnamon, fennel, cloves, star anise, and white pepper, which will be a similar taste.

More dinner recipes:

  • Easy Pasta Primavera
  • Teriyaki mushrooms garnished with spring onions on a brown bamboo cutting board with a knife in the background.
    Teriyaki Oyster Mushroom Steak (Vegan)
  • Easy Vegan Buddha Burger Bowl in white bowl with fresh greens, yellow lemon, orange carrots, purple potatoes, and cilantro garnishes
    Easy Vegan Buddha Burger Bowl
  • white bowl with charred broccoli, carrots, and pasta topped with red chili flakes
    Easy Vegan Truffle Fettuccine Alfredo
« Baked Mint Chocolate Brownie Donuts
Vegan Bourbon Pecan Chocolate Chunk Cookies »

Filed Under: Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups

DID YOU TRY THIS?

Tag @LaurynEmilia on Instagram & subscribe on Youtube for more!

Try these next:

Two slices of cinnamon raisin banana bread on a white gold plate with a linen napkin and gold knife

Vegan Cinnamon Raisin Banana Bread (Grain-Free)

White bowl filled with golden miniature pancakes

Healthy Cinnamon Mini Pancake Cereal

donut on plate with mint leaves

Baked Mint Chocolate Brownie Donuts

Affiliate Disclosure: as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Hi! Welcome to Plantivore Kitchen

lauryn smiling

I’m Lauryn – cat mom, wife, and wellness-obsessed content creator living with PCOS, food allergies & celiac disease. I love travel, gluten-free dumplings, wellness… Learn More →

Subscribe

Get tasty gluten-free + plant-based recipes and skin glow tips delivered straight to your inbox.

Please wait...

Welcome! Xx

Reader Faves

back of woman's head curled brunette hair with blonde highlights

The Best Non-Toxic, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free Shampoos

Two slices of cinnamon raisin banana bread on a white gold plate with a linen napkin and gold knife

Vegan Cinnamon Raisin Banana Bread (Grain-Free)

Find a recipe

Copyright © 2025 Plantivore Kitchen | Lauryn Emilia on the Brunch Pro Theme