Instant Pot Vietnamese Vegetarian Pho

I created this recipe at the request of my daughter, who loves pho, but is a strict vegetarian. I’m not going to fault her for that, but it is challenging customizing a recipe to compensate for absolutely zero meat umami and finding limited guidance on the internet. Beef pho broth is so flavorful because of the goodness rendered out of slowly-simmered cow bones — and there’s none of that here.

So how then does one successfully create a vegetable “umami bomb” worthy of your daughter’s praise? Enter dried shiitake mushrooms. They impart a delicate, earthy flavor that is easily achieved by cooking them in an Instant Pot. And you’ll save a ton of time as well on the actual cooking process.

Serve with Asian rice vermicelli noodles, queen thai basil, chopped scallion and cilantro, sliced green serrano or jalapeno chili pepper, bean sprouts and a lime wedge.

This recipe can also easily accommodate a meat dish as a side for non-vegetarian guests. I suggest classic Vietnamese Charbroiled Pork shown in the photo above. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

1 3-inch chunk of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced 1 large yellow onion, peeled and quartered 1/2 large shallot, peeled and sliced 1 stalk lemongrass (tender inner white and green part only), crushed with a mallet 2 tbs. canola oil 1/2 tsp. whole black peppercorns 2 vegetable boullion cubes (Bou brand) 1 chunk palm sugar (about 1 tbs.) 2 tbs. Tamari sauce 6 dried shiitake mushrooms 3 whole star anise pods 4 whole cloves 1 tbs. whole coriander seed 1 small cinnamon stick – about 2″ 8 cups filtered water 1 tsp. salt, to taste

PREPARATION:

Prep and measure the vegetables and spices. Organize everything so you have it ready and at hand.

Preheat your Instant Pot using the saute function on HIGH. When it comes up to temperature, add the canola oil. Swirl the pot insert to evenly coat the bottom with the oil. Carefully add the quartered yellow onion, ginger and sliced shallot, taking care not to splatter the oil. Allow to sear for about 6-8 minutes until they char without moving them. After the vegetables are seared, use a silicone spatula and turn them lightly. Shut off the saute function.

Next, add the crushed lemongrass, dry spices, Tamari sauce, dried shiitake mushrooms. Deglaze the pot with 8 cups of water. Place the lid on the pot and lock it, ensuring that the top toggle vent is SEALED.

Program the Instant Pot using the pressure cook mode on HIGH for 15 minutes. Please note that in my test, it took a full eight minutes just to come up to pressure. The more liquid volume you have, the longer this step will take.

After counting down 15 minutes the unit will beep. Let it count up 10 minutes* and then carefully flip open the top toggle vent. Allow all of the remaining pressure to release, ensuring that the metal valve pin drops (about 4 additional minutes.) Carefully open the cooker lid.

Using two heat-resistant silicone mitts, carefully strain the contents of the pot into a large fine-screen colander placed over a large work bowl or pot. You’ll want to ensure that the volume of the container is at least 3 quarts so you don’t make a mess. Discard the strained solids except for the shiitake mushrooms. Set the mushrooms aside on a cutting board.

Carefully pour the strained liquid stock back into the instant pot inner liner. Slice the mushrooms and add to the pot. Salt to taste, if needed.

Cover the pot with the locking lid (leave it vented) and use the Keep Warm function until ready to serve. The mushrooms may be a bit chewy, but i actually like them this way. Leave them in for flavor.

*While waiting for the pot to depressurize, cook the rice vermicelli according to package directions – boiling about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to stand in the water until ready to serve. This will ensure they don’t clump together. When ready, simply strain noodle portions into serving bowls and top with the pho broth.

Garnish as indicated above.

Serves 4-6.

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A note on Instant Pot cooking: Most of my recipes featured here on Culinary Compost will never be considered Instant Pot compatible. That doesn’t mean they can’t be converted, but why would you want to? I guess I am a cast-iron foodie and old habits die hard.

With that said, I’ve been slowly won over by the benefits of IP cooking, mainly for recipes that offer proven methods on saving time, or simplifying prep by using one pot to saute, braise, simmer and pressure cook.

The argument against this (specifically noting this recipe) is that it still takes a lot of time to cut, measure and prep everything. Keep that in mind when using an Instant Pot. You’ll also need to account for the time in your pot coming up to pressure and using a “natural” pressure release when the cooking cycle is complete. I’ve indicated those times as estimates here for your reference.