Vegetarian Pho with Daikon Radish Noodles

Pho (pronounced “fuh”) is a traditional Vietnamese street-food noodle soup that has grown in popularity in the United States in recent years, and for good reason. It’s filled with herbs and spices, and comes in many different variations. This vegetarian pho is made at its simplest and can be spruced up to your liking. If you want to add meat to this soup, just prepare it beforehand and drop it into the broth. You can also add 1⁄2 tablespoon fish sauce for extra flavor.

Serves 2

1 large daikon radish

4 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

41⁄2 cups vegetable broth

2" piece ginger

1 stick cinnamon

1 star anise

2 cloves

Juice of 1⁄2 lime

1⁄4 cup chopped cilantro

1⁄2 jalapeño, thinly sliced

1⁄2 cup mung bean sprouts

2 stalks green onion, chopped

1. Peel the daikon radish. Cut in half crosswise and slice off both ends. Spiralize using a small-noodle blade. Set aside.
2. Finely chop garlic. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium heat. Add garlic, stir, and cook for 2 minutes. Then add broth, whole ginger, cinnamon stick, star anise, and cloves. (This is where you can add fish sauce if you choose to use it, though this will mean the broth is no longer vegetarian). Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, add radish noodles, and cook for 20 minutes.
3. When broth is done cooking, add lime juice, and remove whole ginger, cinnamon stick, star anise, and cloves before serving. Separate soup and noodles into two bowls and top with cilantro, jalapeño, bean sprouts, and green onion. Serve warm.