This warm, flavorful dish is a great vegetarian meal for cold winter evenings–or the perfect substitute for those of us (like me) who aren’t the biggest fans of chicken noodle soup and want a tasty alternative! I don’t think I will ever be able to replicate the incredible pho at the Vietnamese restaurant near our house, but I can definitely try to make some kind of spiritual successor that’s quick and easy to make at home. Plus, the ingredients are super inexpensive!!
This recipe serves three to four people!
Ingredients:
- 1 package (about 8 oz) dried rice noodles
- 2 boxes (about 8 cups) vegetable broth
- 1.5 cups baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tbsp minced ginger
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce OR 1 tbsp sriracha (optional)
- squirt of lime juice
Garnishes (optional):
- half lime
- mint leaves
- bean sprouts
- chopped scallions
- sesame seeds
- fried rice noodle disk (see step 5 below)
Directions:
- Add garlic, ginger, pepper, sesame oil, and mushrooms to a large pot and
sauté (lightly “pan” fry… such a fancy word! Thanks, Food Network!) until the mushrooms become soft, fragrant, and lightly browned.
- Pour vegetable broth into the pot and add soy sauce, hoisin sauce/sriracha (if desired), and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Add dried rice noodles and cook until tender.
- Serve and add a squirt of lime juice to each bowl. Garnish with half lime, mint leaves, bean sprouts, chopped scallions, and/or sesame seeds!
- For an added crunch (and fanciness), heat 1 tsp sesame oil in a small pan on medium-high/high heat and add a few cooked rice noodles. Fry until crispy and add to each bowl!
If you would like to make this a meat dish, lightly pan fry some chopped chicken or raw shrimp in place of the mushrooms and simply add the mushrooms to be browned after the chicken/shrimp is cooked.
This recipe does not keep well in the refrigerator, so I recommend tweaking the quantities to fit your household size!
Pho-Inspired Easy Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 package dried rice noodles about 8 oz
- 2 boxes vegetable broth about 8 cups
- 1½ cups baby bella mushrooms sliced
- 2 tbsp minced ginger
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce OR 1 tbsp sriracha optional
- squirt of lime juice
Garnishes (optional):
- half lime
- mint leaves
- bean sprouts
- chopped scallions
- sesame seeds
- fried rice noodle disk see step 5 below
Instructions
- Add garlic, ginger, pepper, sesame oil, and mushrooms to a large pot and sauté* until the mushrooms become soft, fragrant, and lightly browned.
- Pour vegetable broth into the pot and add soy sauce, hoisin sauce/sriracha (if desired), and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Add dried rice noodles and cook until tender.
- Serve and add a squirt of lime juice to each bowl. Garnish with half lime, mint leaves, bean sprouts, chopped scallions, and/or sesame seeds!
- For an added crunch (and fanciness), heat 1 tsp sesame oil in a small pan on medium-high/high heat and add a few cooked rice noodles. Fry until crispy and add to each bowl!
Notes
- *Lightly “pan” fry… such a fancy word! Thanks, Food Network!