Simple recipe for pho soup with crispy fried tofu, rice noodles, pak choi and shiitake mushrooms. All ingredients for this vegan pho soup are easy to find in your local grocery store.
Preheat oven to 500°F / 260°C (or the highest possible temperature). Peel onions, cutinto quarters and place them on a baking sheet. Peel ginger, slice lengthwise and roast them in oven along with the onions for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, toast spices in a saucepan over medium-high heat until they form roasted aromas. Deglaze with broth, add roasted onion and ginger pieces, peeled garlic clove, soy sauce, and fresh cilantro and let it simmer with lid closed over low heat for 40 minutes.
Drain broth through a fine strainer into a second pot and keep warm over low heat.
Prepare Garnish
Wash pak choi, remove stalk and chop coarsely or bite-size as preferred. Clean mushrooms, cut into strips and add both to the broth and sauté over low heat.
Place rice noodles in a bowl and pour boiling water over them, soak for five to ten minutes according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan, cut tofu into thin slices and squeeze the liquid between two layers of kitchen paper. Fry tofu slices for two minutes per side, gently season with salt.
Divide noodles between two bowls, add soup and serve with tofu and fresh coriander if desired.