Pho is Vietnamese Noodle Soup and it has become one of the most comforting winter soups I have ever had. During the winter months when I was working as a librarian, my husband and I often stopped at our local Vietnamese restaurants for a bowl of Pho after work. The aromatic broth, crunchy-soft vegetables, and noodles warmed me to the core. Additionally, this experience has opened me to the comfort of a wide variety of soups. (This recipe along with my top soup recipes is listed in the Vegetarian Soup menu at the bottom of my blog.)

This East Vegan Pho recipe from the blog Gimme Some Oven is excellent. The trick about making great-tasting Pho is having a seasoned broth. The discovery of Anise Star has been a game-changer for me. Anise Star is a lovely star-shaped evergreen spice that is native to Vietnam and China. It adds a very distinctive flavor to soup and has become a staple in my kitchen spice cabinet.

Gimme Some Oven’s Pho recipe is easy to make (although a bit time-consuming) and tastes great! The broth only gets better over time. I usually make it with tofu, but I have also made it with dumplings. The vegetables are added last which is important so they don’t get soggy. There is flexibility in the vegetables and topping used so it’s fun to try different ingredients.

I am so excited to be able to make Pho at home on those snowy winter nights when I don’t want to go out. — Happy Pho is a happy woman! — Carole