Tofu pho with charred ginger broth
75 min · 18 g protein · 401 cals / serving
A deep, fragrant pho broth built from charred onion and ginger, toasted star anise, cinnamon and cloves, kombu and dried shiitake, ladled hot over rice noodles and golden tofu. Everyone finishes their own bowl with bean sprouts, basil, coriander, chili and lime.
Ingredients
Broth
- 2 medium onions, halved, skin on
- a 3-inch (8 cm) piece ginger, halved lengthwise
- 3 whole star anise (or 1 tsp anise seed) anise seed
- 1 cinnamon stick ground cinnamon
- 4 whole cloves cloves
- 1 tsp coriander seeds ground coriander
- 7 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 6 dried shiitake dried shiitake mushrooms
- a 4-inch (10 cm) strip of kombu kelp
- 1 medium carrot, in large chunks
- 2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp maple syrup, or sugar
Bowls
- 1 block (14 oz) prepared extra firm tofu, pressed, in 1/2-inch (1 cm) slices
- 2 tsp canola oil
- 6 oz dry flat rice noodles rice noodles
To serve
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- a big handful fresh basil, Thai basil if you can find it
- a handful fresh cilantro
- 3 scallions green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeño or red chili jalapeño, thinly sliced
- 1 lime, in wedges
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp sriracha hot sauce
Steps
- Char the onion and ginger: put them cut side up under a hot broiler, or straight on a gas flame or in a dry cast-iron pan, until blackened in patches all over, about 10 minutes.
- In a large pot, toast the star anise, cinnamon, cloves and coriander seeds over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the broth, water, dried shiitake, kombu, carrot and the charred onion and ginger. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently, partly covered, for 40 minutes.
- Strain the broth into a clean pot and discard the spices, kombu, carrot, onion and ginger. Slice the softened shiitake and return them to the broth. Season with the soy sauce and maple, then salt to taste; it should taste a touch saltier than you would drink on its own, because the noodles dilute it.
- While the broth simmers, pat the tofu dry and fry it in the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes a side, until golden.
- Soak or cook the rice noodles according to the package, drain and divide between 4 deep bowls.
- Lay the tofu on the noodles and ladle over the boiling broth. Serve with the sprouts, herbs, scallions, chili and lime on a plate for everyone to add, and hoisin and sriracha on the side for dipping or stirring in.
Good to know
Is charring the onion and ginger necessary?
It is what makes it taste like pho: the char gives the broth its smoky, sweet depth and amber colour. Don't worry about blackened skin; it is strained out.
Make ahead?
The broth tastes even better the next day and keeps 4 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. Cook the noodles and tofu fresh.
Is it gluten-free?
Rice noodles are; use tamari instead of soy sauce (it's about the same score) and check your hoisin.
Alternative
Can't fill you up alone — pair it with protein.
Per
- Calories
- 43
- Protein
- (18%)
- 2 g
- Fat
- (21%)
- 1 g
- Carbohydrates
- (61%)
- 7 g
- of which sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 233 mg
More meals
Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How
As written, 1604 kcal goes into the pot and 4139 g of ingredients comes out as about 3720 g of food: 43 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.