Name: Easy Pho with Daikon Noodles
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth; 1 cup water; 2 Tablespoons fish sauce; juice from 2 limes (about 3-1/2 tablespoons); zest from 1 lime; salt and pepper; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 1 lemongrass stalk (tender inner part only, cut into 2-inch slices); 2 red chiles (sliced); 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger; 2 cloves garlic (sliced); 12 small shrimp (peeled and deveined (omit and use tofu for a meatless version)); 1 large daikon radish (peeled); 1/4 cup packed whole cilantro leaves (chopped); 2 to 3 green onions (sliced); 1 white onion (sliced thinly); 1/2 block tofu (cut into cubes); 1 head of baby bok choy (chopped); 1/2 cup kale (chopped); 1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts; 2-3 Thai basil leaves; Sriracha; hoisin sauce

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An easy version of Vietnamese pho soup that’s made healthier with daikon noodles and packed-full of veggies. Perfect for slurping on a cooler day and easy to customize with your favorite protein.

Daikon Pho is a healthy twist on Vietnamese pho using sprialzed daikon noodles with a sweet & spicy vegetable broth.

Have you heard of Pho before? Like “pho-gettaboutit.”?

If not, it’s a wonderfully delicate Vietnamese soup, made with rice noodles steeped in an insanely flavorful broth. It’s often made with beef or chicken and topped with lots of fresh aromatic veggies. It’s the ultimate comforting dish to enjoy on a cold, rainy or snowy day.

It was one of the foods I would crave for everyday when I was pregnant and it was especially satisfying after a few runs down the ski hills when the hubs and I used to go skiing.

There’s just something about a piping hot bowl of the fragrant broth flavored with star anise, cardamom, fennel seeds and cinnamon that come together to create soup perfection.

The best part about is that you can customize any and all the condiments you desire to make it your own.

Pho is usually made with beef and you can find my version of it HERE (a reader favorite) but this time I based this recipe off of Ali’s recipe from Inspiralized with shrimp for the hubs and a meatless version for myself with tofu.

(Be sure to scroll down for the giveaway for your own copy)

Instead of using rice noodles, Ali’s recipe calls for a lighter and healthier version using spiralized daikon noodles. With a spiralizer or a vegetable peeler, you’re able to turn almost any vegetable into noodles!

The soup was nice and light which is perfect for this time of year when we’re still transitioning from summer to fall.

Although it doesn’t have all the complex flavors you get from simmering all day like the traditional bowl of pho, it’s perfect if you’re short on time and need to get that pho noodle slurping fix.

Easy Pho with Daikon Noodles

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

45 mins

An easy Vietnamese pho soup that’s been healthified with daikon noodles and packed-full of veggies. Perfect for slurping on a cold day and easy to customize with your favorite protein.

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: asian soup recipe, easy pho recipe, vietnamese recipe

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 145 kcal

Ingredients

4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 cup water
2 Tablespoons fish sauce
juice from 2 limes about 3-1/2 tablespoons
zest from 1 lime
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 lemongrass stalk tender inner part only, cut into 2-inch slices
2 red chiles sliced
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic sliced
12 small shrimp peeled and deveined (omit and use tofu for a meatless version)
1 large daikon radish peeled
1/4 cup packed whole cilantro leaves chopped
2 to 3 green onions sliced
1 white onion sliced thinly

Optional Ingredients:

1/2 block tofu cut into cubes
1 head of baby bok choy chopped
1/2 cup kale chopped
1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts
2-3 Thai basil leaves
Sriracha
hoisin sauce

Instructions

Use a spiralizer, julienne peeler or mandolin to turn the daikon radish into noodles.
Bring the water, vegetable broth, fish sauce, lime juice, zest, and coriander to a boil over high heat. Lower to medium and season with salt and pepper. Add the lemongrass, ginger, and chiles. Cover, and simmer for 10 minutes to let the spices infuse the broth.
Toss in the shrimp and cook for about 8 minutes until they turn pink.
Taste for salt and spices; you should have an equal balance of spicy, salty, and sour.
Stir in the daikon noodles and cilantro, and cook for about 2 minutes more, until the daikon noodles are softened. Remove and discard lemongrass and gi5ger slices.
Add bok choy, kale or other veggies to your liking.
Serve the pho hot, garnishing with green onions, cilantro, Thai basil, onion slices, mung beans and Sriracha or hoisin sauce if desired.

Recipe Notes

Adapted from Inspiralized

Nutrition Facts

Easy Pho with Daikon Noodles

Amount Per Serving (1 serving (1/2 recipe))

Calories 145

% Daily Value*

Cholesterol 90mg30%

Sodium 3622mg151%

Potassium 707mg20%

Carbohydrates 24g8%

Fiber 4g16%

Sugar 13g14%

Protein 11g22%

Vitamin A 1565IU31%

Vitamin C 108.9mg132%

Calcium 130mg13%

Iron 2.4mg13%

* Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy using the WPRM recipe calculator. It is best to make your own calculations to ensure accuracy. We expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Cookbook Review and Giveaway

I received a copy of Inspiralized back in March and have been a big fan of zucchini noodles (aka zoodles) and other veggie noodles for about 2 years now. I love substituting vegetables for starchy foods which also seems to be the new trend of 2015.

They’re great when you want a lower carb replacement for pasta or noodles in your dishes or when following a gluten free diet. My favorite reason is to add more veggies into my family’s life (something we all need to do).

Ali Maffuci, a well-known food blogger, released the cookbook, Inspiralized back in February and it goes beyond zucchini to transform over 20 different types of vegetables into delicious meals.

This book is so informative and full of helpful tips on where to start and shared her inspiring story on why she started spiralizing. Ali even breaks down the various noodles in different sizes and even instructs on how to convert the noodles to “rice” and specifics on what vegetables work and don’t work when spiralizing and what to embrace and not try with different vegetables as well.

I love the diversity of the recipes like Mexican and Thai flavors as well as Italian and southern dishes, etc. This is not a vegan or vegetarian book so meat is also included in many dishes.

I’ve tried a few recipes on here already including this Daikon Pho and next on my list to try are Spicy Butternut Squash Nachos, Noodle Chicken Soup and Collard Hummus Wraps with Golden Beets and Sprouts.

And it’s not just a cookbook of pasta dishes. There are recipes for Breakfast, Soups Stews and Salads and even Rice Dishes and Casseroles and yes, there is even a dessert section.

This book is quickly becoming well-loved and well-used at our house.

I couldn’t possibly keep all this spiralized love to myself, so I’m also giving a copy of the Inspiralized cookbook to one lucky reader!