Bún bò Huế, is the less known but more awesome relative of Pho. Both are Vietnamese soups served with rice noodles, a traditional meat-based broth, and a variety of vegetable toppings. The main difference is that Bún bò Huế has a kick of lemongrass and a vast delectable array of additional toppings. 
As a vegetarian, Asian noodle soups without fish sauce or a meat-based broth have always been a difficult find. Luckily for me, my close friend Chi (who is an amazing cook herself) turned vegetarian a couple of years ago and started experimenting with vegetarian versions of her native dish. Even though she isn’t vegetarian anymore, her vegetarian (chay) version of the traditional Bún bò Huế remains most popular amongst her friends.
In the last few months, my regular visits to Seattle, and hence access to Chi’s delicious Bún bò Huế Chay have reduced. In withdrawal, I caved to my cravings and attempted her recipe with a few modifications of my own along the way.
For the broth | serves 6-8 people15 + 6 cups of water (keep the 6 cups separate for now) 2 carrots pealed and chopped into quarter inch circles 1 daikon pealed and chopped 1 jicama pealed and chopped 1 large asian pear or 2 regular pears chopped 1.5 sticks lemongress chopped into 1 inch pieces 
4.5 tbsp Bún bò Huế Chay flavor powder (shown in image below, can be purchased from asian stores) 3 tbsp Bún bò Huế Chay spicy-chili powder (can substitute with paprika) 
What you do Bring the 15 cups of water to boil leaving space in the pot to add the veggies. If you don’t have a large enough pot, split it between two pots but remember to do the math on splitting the ingredients as well. Add the chopped veggies and reduce to medium heat. Let it stew for 1 hour. 
After 1 hour, add 3 more cups of water and add the Bún bò Huế Chay flavor powder and the Bún bò Huế Chay spicy-chili powder to the broth. Mix until combined, let stew an additional 1 hour. Add 3 more cups of water, and let the broth continue to stew while you finish the rest of the cooking described below. 
For the vegetables and protein 10 garlic cloves diced (1 medium bulb of garlic) 1.5 sticks lemongrass chopped into 1 inch pieces 6 bulbs of green onions diced (save stalks for the toppings) 2 tbsp sesame seed oil or olive oil 6 types of mushrooms (feel free to substitute any of these or add other vegetables) - King Oyster mushrooms - Oyster mushrooms - Maitake mushrooms - Shitake mushrooms - Hedgehog mushrooms - Hon Shimeji Beech mushrooms 2 cubes soft tofu puff tofu (optional) beancurd or seitan (optional) dash of paprika
What you do In a separate pan, sauté the garlic, lemongrass and green onion bulbs in the oil for 5 minutes or until fragrant. 
Then add the chopped mushrooms to the pan and stir-fry until the mushrooms soften. 
I like to cover the pan with a lid to let it steam for a couple of minutes. 
Add the tofu and other protein and sprinkle the paprika. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes and set aside. (I had to break this step out into batches as my pan was too small). 
For the noodles 1 packet vermicelli rice noodles
What you do In a separate pot, bring water to boil and cook the vermicelli rice noodles until tender (as you would for regular pasta). As soon as it is cooked, strain the hot water and run the noodles under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set the noodles aside. 
For the toppings diced stalks of the 6 green onions used above 1 white onion cut lengthwise 1 box of fried onions 1 packet of mung bean sprouts 1 bunch of fresh basil 1 lime 2 jalapeños sliced thin 
Putting it all together Remove the veggies stewing in the broth. I usually pick out the carrots and add them back to the broth. 
Add the stir-fried veggies and protein in the broth and let it stew for 10 minutes. 
In a serving bowl, place the noodles, add the broth, and garnish with toppings. Then, ENJOY! You’ve earned it! 
