Stoke your digestive fire with this warming, detoxifying, and deeply nourishing vegetarian pho.
Pho originated in northern Vietnam and is traditionally made with an aromatic broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat. My plant-forward version takes inspiration from those flavors while loading the broth with vegetables, ginger, daikon, and mineral-rich kombu.
Ginger and daikon radishes are two of my favorites for supporting digestion. Ginger contains powerful plant compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Daikon, a mild white radish commonly used throughout Asian cuisine, provides vitamin C and contains naturally occurring digestive enzymes that help break down starches.
Then there is kombu—the star of this broth. Kombu is an edible sea vegetable naturally rich in minerals and high in iodine, an essential nutrient required for thyroid hormone production.
Kombu also contains glutamic acid, which provides that delicious savory, umami flavor. You’ll notice that I didn’t add traditional table salt to this recipe—the kombu and tamari bring plenty of flavor. You don’t need to eat the actual kombu, either. I like to let it simmer in the broth and remove it before serving. I feel so nourished just sipping the broth!
I kept this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free tamari or Bragg Liquid Aminos instead of traditional soy sauce, but you can absolutely use soy sauce if gluten isn’t a concern.
Related Stories
Enjoy this as a light soup, or add your favorite cooked protein to make it a complete, satisfying meal. I love adding cooked organic tofu, shredded chicken, or shrimp.
