Indulge | Sep. 2025
SKINNY SOUP (VEGETARIAN PHO)
By Monica Kass Rogers
WORDS, STYLING, AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY FOOD EDITOR MONICA KASS ROGERS
I call this delightful bowl “skinny soup” because, full of fresh vegetables, fragrant broth, and rice noodles, it is filling without being high in calories.
Free of gluten, wheat, dairy, and fat, the soup cooks up in less than half an hour. To make it, you’ll use a good quality gluten-free vegetable stock with aromatics and spices (ginger, cinnamon stick, star anise, and clove) added to deepen the flavor and scent. As the broth simmers, add fresh prepared veggies and a handful of rice noodles. Simmer until softened, and finish with an herb, bean sprout, red pepper, and lime garnish.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
For the broth
• 6 cups gluten-free vegetable stock
• 2 garlic cloves, peels discarded, thinly sliced
• 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peel discarded, thinly sliced
• 2 small cinnamon sticks
• 2 star anise
• 2 cloves
• 1 tablespoon wheat- and gluten-free soy sauce or tamari
• 1 kaffir lime leaf OR 1 bay leaf
• 1 small white onion, halved and slivered
For the veg & noodles
• 3 small carrots, peels and tops discarded, cut into thin julienne strips
• 1, 150-gram package of white shimeji mushrooms, broken into small pieces
• 4 scallions, ends trimmed, sliced thin
• 1 handful of rice noodles (about 6 ounces)
For garnish
• 1 cup very fresh mung bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
• Small bunch fresh mint
• Small bunch cilantro
• 2 limes, cut into wedges
• 1 sweet or spicy red pepper, seeded and cored, diced
METHOD
Make stock
In a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat, add vegetable stock, garlic, ginger, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, onion, and soy. Heat to boiling. Immediately reduce heat to low. Simmer gently for 20 minutes. Pluck out and discard the cinnamon sticks, ginger, star anise, and cloves, leaving the onion and garlic.
Add veggies and noodles
Add carrots and simmer for 4 minutes until tender. Add mushrooms, scallions, and rice noodles. Simmer another minute or two until noodles are soft.
Serve
Ladle soup into serving bowls, dividing noodles, onion, mushrooms, and carrots equally. Add bean sprouts, basil, mint, and cilantro to each bowl. Serve with chopped red pepper and wedges of lime at the table.
