This vegan pho is made with tender veggies, silky rice noodles, and hoisin tofu in a savory broth that's packed with warming spices. The best part? It comes together in less than an hour!
Char the aromatics. Option 1: Char each of the onion quarters and ginger halves individually by holding it over an open flame (such as a gas burner) using a pair of tongs (Note 4). Option 2: Place the onion quarters and ginger halves on a baking sheet, then place the baking sheet under a preheated broiler. Broil the aromatics for a few minutes on each side, until they begin to char. Place each piece on a plate when done.
Place a large pot over medium heat. Give it a minute to heat up, then add the cinnamon sticks, anise, cardamom, cloves, coriander, and fennel seeds. Toast the spices for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Add the broth and charred aromatics to the pot. Raise the heat and bring the broth to a boil.
Lower the heat and let the broth simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Prepare the soup ingredients as instructed below while the broth cooks.
Once the broth has finished simmering, remove the pot from heat and remove the spices and aromatics. Season the broth with soy sauce and salt to taste.
While broth simmers, cook the noodles according to their package directions. Drain them into a colander and rinse them with cold water when done.
Coat the bottom of a large nonstick skillet with 1 tablespoon of the oil and place it over medium heat.
Once the oil is hot, add the shiitake mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms for about 10 minutes, flipping once or twice, until browned. Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a plate.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pot, then add the tofu cubes.
Cook the tofu pieces for about 10 minutes, flipping once or twice to achieve browning on multiple sides.
Carefully pour the hoisin sauce over the tofu and flip the pieces a few times. Cook the tofu briefly until the sauce thickens and coats the pieces. Transfer the tofu to a plate.
Divide the noodles, tofu, mushrooms and carrots among four bowls and ladle the broth over everything.
Serve with the accompaniments.