Heart-Healthy Vietnamese Pho Broth
Elevate your homemade soup game with this Heart-Healthy Vietnamese Pho Broth, a flavorful and nourishing twist on the classic dish. Perfectly balanced with aromatic spices like cinnamon, star anise, and cardamom, this recipe features fresh ginger and charred onions to deepen the broth's complexity while keeping it light and gluten-free. Simmered with vibrant vegetables like carrots and daikon radish, and enhanced with low-sodium vegetable broth and tamari, it’s designed to deliver authentic pho flavor without the heavy sodium content. Ideal as a wholesome base for customizable pho bowls, this broth pairs beautifully with rice noodles, lean proteins, or additional veggies, making it a versatile and heart-friendly addition to your culinary repertoire. Ready in under two hours, this easy-to-make recipe is perfect for meal prep and can be stored or frozen for quick and healthy meals anytime.
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 2 medium, halved Yellow onion
- 4 inches, sliced lengthwise Fresh ginger
- 1 large Cinnamon stick
- 3 whole Star anise
- 4 whole Cloves
- 2 whole Cardamom pods
- 8 cups Low-sodium vegetable broth
- 4 cups Water
- 2 medium, coarsely chopped Carrots
- 1 small, coarsely chopped Daikon radish
- 2 tablespoons Low-sodium soy sauce or tamari (for gluten-free)
- 1 tablespoon Coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds
- 0.5 teaspoons Salt
- 0.5 cup, loosely packed Fresh cilantro stems
- 0.5 cup, loosely packed Fresh basil stems
Instructions
Begin by charring the onion and ginger to bring out their flavor. Heat a dry skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat, and place the onion halves and ginger slices cut-side down on the pan. Allow them to char for 3-4 minutes on each side, until blackened in spots. Set aside.
In a large pot, toast the cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, and cardamom pods over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant.
Add the charred onion and ginger to the pot, followed by the low-sodium vegetable broth, water, carrots, daikon radish, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, and cilantro and basil stems.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer uncovered for 60 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
After an hour, use a slotted spoon to remove the large solids (onions, ginger, carrots, daikon radish, and herbs), and strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the spices. Return the clear broth to the pot.
Stir in the low-sodium soy sauce or tamari and a pinch of salt. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning as needed, keeping in mind that pho broth should be light and aromatic, not overly salty.
Keep the broth warm over low heat if serving immediately, or let it cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Serve the broth as a base for pho bowls, adding rice noodles, fresh herbs, and your choice of lean protein or vegetables to customize your dish.
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
479 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 9.5 g | 12% | |
| Saturated Fat | 1.3 g | 6% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.8 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 2 mg | 1% | |
| Sodium | 3650 mg | 159% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 90.7 g | 33% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 24.9 g | 89% | |
| Total Sugars | 22.7 g | ||
| Protein | 16.7 g | 33% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.0 mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium | 806 mg | 62% | |
| Iron | 16.6 mg | 92% | |
| Potassium | 4095 mg | 87% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
