A Nourishing Vegetarian Bone Broth Alternative (+ a Pho Recipe Too!) (2024)

Bone broth is all the rage right now, but if you don’t eat meat, take heart: even though vegetarian bone broth isn’t a thing, vegetarians need not miss out on the nutritional benefits of bone broth!

Some of the same nutrients can be duplicated in a nutrient-dense, delicious vegetarian bone broth substitute made from a combination of organic vegetables, wakame, water, herbs, and spices. Warm, comforting, and healing, this broth is also easy to make, not to mention flavorful–and it makes the perfect base for Vegetarian Pho.

It could be tempting to just buy veggie broth and call it good. But really, a lot of store-bought broths are full of salt and not much else. Making this vegetarian bone broth alternative from scratch is easy to do. I find that I make broth most often when I have a bunch of veggie scraps and odds and ends. It’s easy to tuck them away in the fridge or freezer until you have enough to make a big batch of broth.

You may remember hearing that nutrients are leached out of vegetables into their cooking water. Well, it’s true! And this recipe capitalizes on that. Vitamins and minerals are released into the water as the broth simmers. Straining the broth removes the solids, leaving behind those nutrients that are easily digested by the body. In addition to the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, the flavor of this broth is fantastic. The long cooking time yields mega flavor and allows the flavors to blend and mellow.

You can certainly use any vegetables you like in this vegetarian bone broth substitute. The sky’s the limit! I tend to go with easy-to-find veggies and aromatics for a richer tasting broth. For added minerals and other nutrients, I add wakame (seaweed), coconut aminos (you could use soy sauce instead), mushrooms (umami flavor), ginger and turmeric (fresh if possible!), along with plenty of leafy greens.You can also add in those veggie trimmings and peelings I mentioned–a great way to eliminate kitchen waste!

Shiitake mushroomscontain 18 amino acids (all 8 essential amino acids included) plus over 30 enzymes, and whether used dried or fresh, add B vitamins, copper, manganese, selenium, zinc, vitamin D. It’s definitely worth including these mushrooms in veggie broth. (source)They also add an earthy, “meaty” umami flavor.

A quick note about wakame (seaweed). You can find it dried in packages in the Asian section of well-stocked grocery stores, health food stores, and online. And if you can’t find it in stores or online, nori is a great substitute. It adds minerals and other collagen-boosting nutrients to the broth along with a distinct flavor that works particularly well for Asian dishes, such as pho. It kind of helps replace the flavor of the fish sauce that would normally be added in. Seaweed is high in potassium, iron, calcium, iodine and magnesium.

The other veggies and aromatics add even more vitamins and minerals. While my vegetarian bone broth substitute doesn’t contain collagen, adding these items can help boost the body’s collagen production. Vitamins A, C, and E are particularly important for collagen production. This broth contains all three.

Using This Vegetarian Bone Broth Substitute to Make Pho

Consuming this vegetarian bone broth alternative alone is perfectly delicious, but we also like to use it as a base for Vegetarian Pho. I’ve included a basic recipe for the broth as well as a recipe for pho. Be sure to check out the notes for a few shortcuts if you want to make the broth specifically to use for pho.

The integral part of any pho recipe is the deeply flavored broth. The piping hot broth is ladled over cooked rice noodles, veggies, and a protein or meat–in this instance I’ve used meaty shiitake mushrooms. And to top it off, a handful of bean sprouts, fresh herbs, green onions, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and hot chiles. Traditionally pho is served with a side of hoisin sauce and Sriracha, but you can also drizzle them on top if you like.

As I mentioned, the vegetarian bone broth is a great base for pho. To add some authentic flavor, I simmer a sauce packet (or whole spices tied in cheesecloth) to add some extra flavor. I include dried coriander berries, whole fennel seeds, whole cloves, star anise, cinnamon sticks, and fresh slices of ginger root.

If you plan ahead of time to make pho with the vegetarian bone broth substitute, you can add these into the broth during the initial cooking time and then the broth will be ready to go without the extra step.

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