Vegan Pho With Tofu & Herbs Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Is pho with tofu healthy? ›

Pho is a Vietnamese soup made with broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat or tofu. Due to its nutritious ingredients and high protein content, it may offer several benefits, including reduced inflammation and improved joint health. Still, it can be high in sodium and calories, so portion size is important.

The broth is made from charred vegetables and toasted spices to create that complex flavor. It's then served with rice noodles along with a variety of herbs and fresh mung bean sprouts.

Yes, vegans can enjoy a bowl of pho with vegetables, as long as the broth and other ingredients are vegan-friendly. Traditional pho is made with a beef or chicken broth, but you can find or make vegan versions of pho that use vegetable broth as the base.

At the typical Vietnamese restaurant, a medium bowl of vegetable pho with tofu may contain between 400 and 510 calories. If you're making your own pho, one-sixth of a recipe that uses 1/2 pound of noodles and the same weight of tofu, along with broth and an assortment of vegetables, contains about 290 calories.

Hence, people who want to lose weight may have a bowl of pho with low-calorie broth, less rice noodle, and lean chicken instead of beef.

Experts also suggest that if pho is used for breakfast, then you should avoid salt for the rest of the day. To avoid imbalanced nutrition, you should not eat pho too often, and you should switch up diet with other food products. Any food, no matter how good it is, won't be good for your body if consumed too much.

Sa sung—dried peanut worms—have been described as the secret ingredient of great pho.

Pho is very nutritious. From its ingredients, it's been shown to reduce inflammation and improve joint health. If you suffer from something like chronic pain or arthritis, you may want to entertain the idea of enjoying more pho. The broth particularly can be very anti-inflammation.

When it comes to proper etiquette when eating pho, one of the most important aspects is slurping. Slurping noodles and broth helps cool down hot food and enhances the dish's flavor.

Pho Soup Ingredients:

garnishes: fresh herbs (cilantro, mint, and/or Thai basil), bean sprouts, lime wedges, thinly-sliced chiles (Thai bird chiles or jalapeños), thinly-sliced onions (green onions or white onions), sauces (hoisin and/or sriracha)

Why does pho have MSG? ›

Do restaurants add additives like MSG to Pho? Some restaurants may add additives like MSG to enhance the dish's flavor. While it's not necessarily unhealthy, some people prefer to avoid these additives and opt for a more natural version of the soup.

Generic Vietnamese Tofu Pho (1 serving) contains 43g total carbs, 39g net carbs, 12g fat, 20g protein, and 380 calories.

Pho is usually considered a healthier choice than ramen because it tends to have fewer calories and less fat, making it a lighter meal. But both pho and ramen still give you a good amount of protein, vitamins, and minerals.

Pho and Ramen

Noodles (even rice noodles) are a processed food made with refined grains that tends to spike many people.

Pho is a traditional Vietnamese street food and has the same magic ingredient as chicken soup — bone broth — but incorporates more herbs and spices to naturally boost your immune system, and speed up your body's recovery time. It's the perfect comfort food — warm, hearty, and healing.

Adding veggies, such as carrots, broccoli or spinach, to your pho is another great way to increase the nutrition in your bowl. "Fresh vegetables added to pho are a nutritious addition," says Syn. "Vegetables are low in calories and high in vitamins, minerals and filling fiber."

Overall, pho is very healthy. "In general, you will be getting a lot of iron, zinc, selenium, B-vitamins, fiber, magnesium, potassium, protein, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin E, vitamin A, antioxidants and carbs when you eat a bowl of pho with lean meats and vegetables," adds Valdez.

"The best pho recipes are ones that include lean protein, like chicken, plus heaps of veggies and go lighter on the noodles." In fact, one bowl of pho contains around 30 grams protein - about half of the recommended amount per day for most people.