Easy slow cooker vegetarian pho recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. This broth based Vietnamese noodle soup is full of aromatic spices, mushrooms and lots of toppings.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Slow Cooker Foodie
I am going to start off by saying that this is my spin on the popular Vietnamese soup. I have tried numerous versions at restaurants here in the United States and I am not sure if mine is even close to being authentic. Regardless, it's very aromatic and unlike any other soup I have ever had. It's just as comforting as my Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup.
Jump to:
Key ingredients
- Spices- My favorites to use are cinnamon, peppercorns and star anise.
- Garlic and ginger- Use fresh rather than powder for best flavor profile.
- Broth- This has to be low sodium to prevent the whole dish from becoming too salty.
- Herbs and vegetables- I like to use onions, bok choy, green onions, cilantro, limes, bean sprouts.
- Soy sauce- Make sure it's low sodium.
- Rice vinegar- This adds a mild acidity and a hint of sweetness to create balance.
- Brown sugar- This adds a hint of sweetness to balance the overall flavors.
- Oil- Any neutral tasting oil would work well here.
- Mushrooms- I highly recommend using Shiitake mushrooms for best umami flavor.
- Rice noodles- These will need to be boiled according to box instructions separately.
Variations
- Use different flavors of broth- Such as chicken or beef to create a different flavor profile. Obviously, it won'e be vegetarian any more.
- Add other veggies- Such as carrots, snap peas, cabbage, bell peppers or even Zucchini Noodles (Zoodles).
- Try other mushrooms- There is such a variety these days.
- Saute mushrooms first- I didn't do it today but you can saute them with the onions and other spices to enhance the umami flavor even more.
- Add miso paste- For additional flavor. About 1 tablespoon should be enough.
- Use sesame oil- Instead of a neutral oil.
- Try other spices- Such as coriander seeds or fennel seeds.
- For a spicy version- Mix in some Sriracha sauce or red chili flakes.
How to make easy slow cooker vegetarian pho recipe from scratch?
I used the slow cooking feature on my Instant Pot because it allowed me to saute in it as well. However, you can easily saute on stovetop and transfer the mixture to your crockpot.
1. Saute spices, onions, ginger, garlic- Until they are fragrant and onions are partially tender.
2. Add mushrooms, broth and few more ingredients for flavor- Mix, cover and cook.
3. Add bok choy and spring onions- In the final 20 minutes.
4. Assemble- Add some boiled rice noodles to each serving bowl. Ladle the hot broth and veggies along with toppings and garnishes of your choice.
What to serve with this soup?
It's a light yet filling meal on its own but you can take it up a notch with these:
- Condiments and sauces- Try a drizzle of Sriracha sauce, hoisin sauce, toasted sesame oil or chili oil.
- Fresh herbs and vegetables- Mix in some finely chopped cilantro, mint, green onions, Thai basil. Squeeze some lime wedges on top for their zesty juice. Toss some bean sprouts, sliced jalapenos or Thai chiles.
- Appetizers- Enjoy alongside spring rolls, egg rolls or stuffed wontons.
- Tofu- I recommend using firm tofu. Cut it into small cubes and pan fry it until golden brown and then add to your bowl.
Tips and techniques
- Use low sodium ingredients- To prevent this meal from becoming too salty.
- Strain the broth to remove the whole spices- But save the mushrooms and bok choy. I don't usually do this for myself but my son is a picky eater.
- Only add noodles prior to serving- Or else they will soak too much broth and the texture will become mushy.
- Don't simmer the broth for longer than the suggested time- Because the spices can make the broth bitter.
Recipe FAQs
It's a long simmered broth with umami flavor and warm spiced aromatic notes. It's not heavy like regular soups.
That's because it requires long and slow simmering at a controlled temperature without ever coming to a rolling boil. This ensures a clear broth that's not cloudy or bitter.
It's usually served in large bowls with lots of toppings along with chopsticks and a soup spoon.
Storage
- Refrigerate- In a sealed container for up to 3 days without rice noodles and toppings. Store the boiled noodles and toppings separately and assemble prior to reheating.
- Freeze- In a sealed container for up to 1 month without rice noodles and toppings.
- Reheat- In the microwave.
- Make ahead- This can easily be made 1 day in advance.
More crockpot soup recipes
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup
- Slow Cooker Cream of Asparagus Soup
- Slow Cooker Cream of Broccoli Soup
- Slow Cooker Cabbage Soup
- Slow Cooker Carrot Soup
Recipe
Slow Cooker Vegetarian Pho
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Slow Cooker Foodie
Ingredients
Pho broth
- 2 tablespoon Oil Any neutral tasting oil
- 8-10 Black peppercorns
- 2-3 Star anise
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- 1 Cardamom
- 1 tablespoon Ginger Freshly grated
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Finely minced
- 1 Onion Large, Peeled, Roughly chopped
- 8 cups Vegetable broth Low sodium
- 1.5 cups Shiitake mushrooms Cleaned and sliced
- 1 teaspoon Brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Soy sauce Low sodium
- 2 teaspoon Rice vinegar
- Salt To taste
- 1 Baby bok choy Washed and roughly sliced
- 3 stalks Green onions Washed, Don't slice them
Add-ins and Toppings
- 1 box Thin rice noodles 14 oz. box. Cook according to box instructions
- 3 Limes Cut into wedges
- 1.5 cups Bean sprouts
- ½ cup Cilantro Fresh, Washed, Roughly chopped
- 3 stalks Green onions Finely chopped
- ½ cup Mint Fresh, Washed, Roughly chopped
- 2-3 Thai chiles Or jalapenos. Washed and thinly sliced
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon stick, cardamom, ginger, garlic, onions and saute until spices are fragrant and onion is partially softened. Some people like to char them but I don't like the black bits.
- Transfer this mixture to a large crockpot.
- Add broth, Shiitake mushrooms, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, salt and mix until combined.
- Cover and cook on High for 3 hours.
- In the final 20 minutes, mix in spring onions and bok choy.
- Cover and cook.
- Optional: Use a fine mesh strainer to strain the broth if you like to get rid of the whole spices. Don't discard the mushrooms or bok choy and mix that into the broth again after straining because they taste delicious.
- Now, you can assemble. Add some boiled rice noodles in each serving bowl. Ladle the hot broth along with toppings of your choice like bean sprouts, cilantro, green onions e.t.c. Then finally, end with a generous squeeze of lime juice. Enjoy.
Notes
- I like a add of noodles in my broth but if you prefer a lighter noodle to broth ratio, then don't boil the whole box of rice noodles. Only boil half of them.
- Use low sodium ingredients to prevent this meal from getting overly salty.
- This is a very forgiving recipe. Use more or less of whatever ingredients you like and dislike.
- Straining is optional but it yields a smoother consistency.
- Read additional tips and variations above.
- Leftover broth can be stored in a sealed container (without the noodles) in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated in the microwave.
Nutrition
An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.
Leave a Reply