Vietnamese Vegetable Pho

This is the step that separates a flat, one-dimensional broth from a pho with genuine depth and complexity. Place a dry frying pan or cast-iron skillet over the highest heat until it is smoking. Lay the halved onion cut-side down and the ginger slices flat in the dry pan — no oil. Leave them completely undisturbed for 4–5 minutes until the cut surfaces are deeply charred, almost blackened in places. Turn and char the other sides for a further 2–3 minutes. The charring is not burning — it is a deliberate caramelisation that creates a smoky sweetness in the broth and gives it its characteristic golden colour. Do not be alarmed by the smoke; open a window if needed. Set the charred onion and ginger aside. In the same dry pan, toast the star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves, and coriander seeds over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, shaking the pan, until they are fragrant and lightly darkened. The toasting wakes up the volatile oils in the spices and makes the broth dramatically more aromatic.

Place the charred onion, charred ginger, and toasted spices into a large saucepan. Pour in the vegetable stock and add 500ml cold water. Bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Add the coconut aminos — this replaces the fish sauce used in traditional pho and adds a savoury, slightly sweet depth without any soy or fish. Simmer uncovered for 40 minutes, allowing the broth to reduce slightly and the spices to fully infuse. After 40 minutes, strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan, pressing the solids to extract every drop of flavour. Discard the solids. Taste the strained broth — it should be clear, deeply fragrant, and warmly spiced with a clean, savoury finish. Season with fine salt to taste. Add the rehydrated sliced shiitake mushrooms to the strained broth and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Add the pak choi halves and cook for 2 minutes until just tender and bright green. Keep the broth hot over low heat while you prepare the noodles.

Soak the dried flat rice noodles in a large bowl of cold water for 20 minutes — they should be pliable and white but not fully soft. Drain. Bring a large saucepan of unsalted water to a rolling boil. Add the soaked noodles and cook for 1–2 minutes only, stirring gently to prevent sticking, until they are just tender but still have a very slight bite — they will continue to soften in the hot broth. Drain immediately and rinse briefly under cold water to stop the cooking and prevent clumping. Divide the noodles between four large, deep bowls, using tongs to create a loose nest in the centre of each bowl. Work quickly — rice noodles stick together as they cool, so get them into the bowls and ladle the broth over them as soon as possible.

Ladle the hot broth generously over the noodles in each bowl, making sure each serving gets a share of the shiitake mushrooms and pak choi. The broth should be piping hot — it is the heat of the broth that gently wilts the fresh garnishes added at the table. Arrange the fresh garnishes on a large plate in the centre of the table: beansprouts, coriander sprigs, Thai basil leaves, mint leaves, sliced spring onions, sliced red chilli, and lime wedges. This is the Vietnamese way — each person customises their own bowl at the table, adding the garnishes they want and squeezing lime over the top. The contrast between the hot, deeply spiced broth and the cool, fresh herbs is the defining experience of pho. Serve with gluten-free hoisin sauce on the side for those who want a touch of sweetness stirred into their bowl.