• prep: 0 hr
• cook: 1 hr
• total: 1 hr

servings:

Fish and meat often figure prominently in the Vietnamese meal-in-a-bowl soup known as pho, but there are traditional and fine vegetarian options, chief among them this broth made from soy sauce and a blend of spices like star anise and cinnamon. All that’s required is a willingness to invest in making the broth and a few additional toppings and you’ll be handsomely rewarded.

• 2 tablespoons good-quality vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, halved and sliced
• 1 head garlic, cloves separated but unpeeled
• 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, cut into coins
• Salt
• Pinch sugar
• 3 or 4 star anise pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup soy sauce, plus more to taste
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• 1/2 pound mushrooms (any kind), trimmed
• 8 ounces thin rice vermicelli
• 6 cups boiling water
• 4 scallions, sliced, for garnish
• 2 or 3 limes, cut into wedges, for garnish
• Additional toppings as you like (see the list that follows)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 4 celery stalks (plus any vegetable leaves), sliced
• 2 onions, quartered (don't bother to peel!)
• 2 baking potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 head garlic (separate the cloves but don't bother to peel)
• 1 pound white button mushrooms, trimmed and halved or sliced
• Salt and pepper
• 10–20 parsley sprigs

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