Vegan Rice Noodle Soup - Pho with Crispy Tofu

**Pho Broth** 1. Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onions, garlic, and ginger and sauté over high heat for about 3 minutes. 2. Then add carrots, parsley root, star anise, cloves, and cinnamon and sauté for another 3 minutes or so until fragrant. 3. Pour in the vegetable broth. Add miso paste, tamari, and sriracha. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer over low heat for at least 45 minutes - the longer it cooks the more flavor it gets. (Meanwhile, you can prepare the crispy tofu). 4. Pour the broth through a fine-meshed sieve into another pot, reserving the vegetables and spices. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. **Crispy Tofu** 5. Preheat the oven to 392 °F (200 °C) heat and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 6. Wrap the tofu in paper towels and press very dry. Then cut into cubes, pat dry again and place in a bowl. First mix the tofu cubes with oil and tamari. Then sprinkle with cornstarch and mix again until well coated. 7. Spread the marinated tofu cubes on the prepared baking sheet, leaving enough space between each cube and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown, tossing after 15 minutes. (Alternatively, you can fry the tofu cubes in a pan for 7-8 minutes until crispy). **Pho Soup** 8. Cook the rice noodles according to package directions. Then rinse under cold water and drain. 9. Heat some oil in a pan and sauté the shiitake mushrooms for 2-3 minutes. Then add to the pho broth with the pak choi and bring to the boil again. 10. Add the rice noodles into bowls and pour the soup over them. Top with crispy tofu and garnish with jalapeños, cilantro, mint and lime wedges as desired. Enjoy!