This quick Shrimp Pho with Vegetables (Vietnamese-inspired Noodle Soup) makes smart use of scraps, so you can make a shortcut stock that tastes like it spent all day simmering while also having zero waste.
Shrimp Pho with Vegetables
Guys this soup is SOOO good! Like, my new favorite soup good! It comes together quickly thanks to using store-bought broth here. To get restaurant-quality pho, in a fraction of the time the broth simmers with aromatics and sauces before adding the shrimp and veggies. Other than the noodles, this pho is a one-pot meal. For more Vietnamese recipes, try my Shaking Beef, Shrimp Summer Rolls, and Slow-Cooker Banh Mi Rice Bowls.
What is shrimp pho?
Shrimp pho, pronounced “fuh,” is a traditional Vietnamese soup consisting of shrimp and vegetables in an aromatic broth served over rice noodles and topped with a variety of garnishes. It’s typically eaten with chopsticks and a big soup spoon but use whatever you have.
The stock is absolutely delish, you’re going to have to trust me here! Don’t leave anything out. For my shortcut stock, I use the following ingredients to flavor the stock:
- Fish sauce
- Soy sauce
- Cinnamon stick
- Star anise pod
- Sliced ginger
- Shrimp shells (If you use already-peeled shrimp, don’t worry about adding shells to the broth.)
How do you cook dried rice noodles for pho?
Rice noodles are very easy to find in the Asian section of any supermarket, and they cook super fast. You simply soak them in hot water using one of two methods:
- Put the noodles in a heatproof bowl and pour in water from the tea kettle,
OR - Bring water to a rapid simmer in a skillet and add the noodles off-heat.
Pho Toppings
Part of the fun of pho is that the garnishes are very much a choose-your-own- adventure. They’re the best way to replicate the experience you’d have at a restaurant. So, feel free to use whatever garnishes you and your family like best. I like to top mine with jalapeno, mint, scallions, and cilantro. The lime juice and sriracha are also a must!
Below is a list of pho garnishes to choose from:
- Veggies: Mung bean sprouts, scallions, thinly sliced white onion
- Peppers: Jalapenos, serrano peppers
- Herbs: Thai basil, mint, cilantro
- Sauce: Sriracha, hoisin, lime juice
More Asian Recipes You’ll Love:
- Easy Wonton Soup
- Chicken and Shrimp Laap (Larb)
- Spicy Thai Shrimp Salad
- Asian Beef Zoodle Soup
- Honey-Teriyaki Salmon with Cauliflower Rice
Shrimp Pho with Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1 pound large shrimp
- 1 ½ quarts vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise pod
- 1- in piece ginger, sliced
- 8 oz white mushrooms, halved
- 1 bunch cilantro
- Salt to taste
- 6 ounces thin rice noodles
- 3 cups cauliflower or broccoli, from 1 small head
- Garnish: Thinly sliced jalapeno, lime wedges,, mung bean sprouts, fresh mint, Thai basil, sliced scallions, sriracha, and/or hoisin sauce
Instructions
- If you’re using frozen shrimp, thaw it completely and drain as much water as possible, using a paper towel to pat it dry.
- If you’re using fresh, shell-on shrimp, peel it and reserve the shells for the stock.
- Add the broth, fish sauce, soy sauce, cinnamon stick, star anise pod, sliced ginger, and (if applicable) shrimp shells to a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- Chop the leafy tops from the bunch of cilantro. Add all the stems to the saucepan.
- Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until very fragrant, then use a slotted spoon to remove and discard the solids. Keep at a gentle simmer.
- Meanwhile, just before the broth is ready fill a wide skillet with water and bring to a boil over high heat, then remove from heat and add the rice noodles.
- Let soak for 3 to 5 minutes, or according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Add the mushrooms and cauliflower florets to the broth and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until tender but still crisp.
- Add the shrimp and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until firm, opaque, and pink.
To serve:
- Divide the rice noodles to each bowl first, then use a slotted spoon to distribute the shrimp and veggies, about 1 1/4 cup each.
- Ladle 1 cup broth over the top and garnish however you like.
- Serve with lime wedges and sriracha.
Easy and full of that traditional pho flavor. A keeper for sure!
Delicious! Love this recipe!
Both my husband and I hate cilantro. Can we leave it out? Is there anything you would substitute?
Sure use basil or fresh mint
I loved everything about this recipe! It is definitely going into become a regular. I added baby spinach leaves when serving for even more nutrients. Thank you!
Could I use soba noodles?
I have a jar of 5 spice. Can I substitute that for the anise , cinnamon and ginger? How much should I use?
I’m eating it for lunch right now. So delicious! I added in some bok choy leaves as some reviewers suggested and it brightens up the colors even more. I wish I could post a picture of it because it’s so pretty!!! Love all of your recipes – thank you so much! 🙂
Where can you get Star anise local? We live in your town
wild by nature
This is fantastic. I didn’t even have the vegetables to add in – so I threw a handful of spinach in at the end, and it’s beyond flavorful. It’s also a WW 0 pt. meal for me if I use brown rice noodles – so, yahoo! Thanks Gina!
We enjoy many of your recipes, but one issue that commonly occurs is the outrageous amounts of sodium.
These amounts are not heart healthy nor good for our blood pressure with just one serving being over 1,500mg, we are done for the day.
Sorry Larry, shrimp in general are high in sodium so feel free to swap broth for low sodium.
I agree. I have to keep sodium under 2000. Fresh never frozen shrimp are less sodium but buying pork loin and slicing it raw and thin and freezing works with chicken and using a boiled egg with slightly soft center is an alternative as well. ❤️
Amazing! The depth of flavor in the broth in 30 mins is impressive! Thank you for a new family fav!!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Could I make this with chicken? What would you suggest? My daughter’s allergic to shrimp.
This is a great, quick pho recipe. I am surprised at how good it is. I make chicken pho a couple times a week and it takes hours but worth it. This will be in my new repitoir and will save my shrimp shells just for this purpose. Thanks so much for the recipe….super well done!!
Is there a veg you would recommend in place of broccoli/cauliflower? My husband truly despises both.
I use snap peas instead. Delicious!
WOW! This is really really good, and i think perhaps my favorite soup recipe from you Gina! I think this could cure a cold!
I was searching for a recipe for shrimp stock and stumbled across this jem which uses my leftover shrimp shells, leftover cilantro stems, veggie broth (i used better than bouillion) and easy spices from my cabinet….so fun having success w star anise and cinnamon stick in a quick and easy soup! I didnt even add shrimp, but kept it vegetarian! Works great! especially with the jalapeno and thai basil /cilantro garnishes. This one’s a keeper!! 🙂
Was great, but, between steps 7 and 8, do you need to increase the heat? Took a lot longer to cook the vegetables and shrimp than the recipe specifies! (Note to self: if you leave the heat on between first and second helpings, the cauliflower will turn to mush!)
OMG! I’m with you – my new favorite soup!!! That broth was out of this world good 🙂
Loved this depth of flavor within a short period of time. I followed it exactly and will make this again soon. I added, basil, mint, scallions, cilantro, lime, jalapeño and a little bit of hoisin as toppings.
Really pleasantly surprised by how good this was! I do think the shrimp shells and star anise is essential. I didn’t see the call for cauliflower or broccoli till too late so we just did mushrooms. Next time I think I might add bok choy in addition as well.
Hi. This looks like a good recipe but it is not pho. There is no broth in Vietnamese culture that uses soy sauce. Soy sauce is only used in Chinese broths. This is an inaccurate representation of pho. This whole blog post is unfortunately a representation of cultural appropriation. I would recommend diving deeper into the origins of pho if you want to post a pho recipe.
That’s ridiculous. Food is like language— it evolves with those who use it. Almost every food is borrowed from another culture at some time or another. Do you think every Italian dish is authentic? Do you see Italians uprising against Olive Garden? Do Indians get mad at West Indians for curry? How far back in time should we go to assign each recipe to a culture? Appropriation is supposed to acknowledge when someone benefits from something that is considered unacceptable when done by the original culture. You dilute the word by using it where it doesn’t apply.
Love this explanation!!!!
Well said Keisha!!
It’s food! It’s just cooking food. Everyone puts their own spin on it. It’s a personal thing. It’s not a crime to experiment or change things. That’s how we get some pretty amazing outcomes in the culinary world. Lighten up.
Hi, as much as I agree with the fact that culture evolves with creativity and mix of other cultures. There are certain things you should respect as well. It is like daring to call a a dish “boeuf bourguignon” when it is made with chicken and white wine 🤔 and not respecting the beef and red wine… Phở is typically one type of soup with a type of rice noodle called… “Phở” and typical ways to do the broth. Other noodle soups have other names…. So I am glad that you appreciate my culture but I would be even more happy if you could use the correct words 😉 . Thank you.
This was soooo delicious! I never eat all of my leftovers, and I ate every drop of this! And just made it again, it’s so flavorful and comforting! The only modifications I made the second time was using shiitake mushrooms, cauliflower, bok choy, some additional salt and pepper and chili sauce. And I added the rice noodles to the stock and vegetables to cook. So amazing!
I never doubt you! This broth truly tastes like pho broth in such a short time! You are awesome.
This was very good, I’ve made twice and am making again today. I added bok choy and really liked this addition. The broth is so flavorful and I could drink it separately! I found some brown rice ramen at Costco and use a small amount. Definitely a keeper!
Loved by the whole family! Thanks for a great recipe.
Made this last night and it was a big hit. I will double the broth next time because it is that good!
I made this soup for family and everyone raved about how flavorful it was. I think the secret was using the shrimp shells in the broth. It was so darn good! I also made the shaking beef same night and it was to die for. This will definitely be a go to recipe.