Pho's non-meat version cracks global top vegan dishes list

Vietnam's meat-free take on its iconic noodle soup pho has earned international recognition, landing at number 35 in a ranking of the world's best vegan dishes by TasteAtlas.

Bowls of vegan pho with plant-based toppings at an eatery in Hanoi

The "Top 100 Vegan Dishes in the World" list was compiled from over 27,000 ratings, of which about 15,000 were verified as legitimate by the system.

Vegan pho swaps the beef or chicken bone broth for a plant-based stock built on mushrooms and onions, along with spices such as cloves and cinnamon, the same profile that gives original pho its depth.

Noodles are cooked before being combined with the broth, then finished with toppings such as bean sprouts, tofu, and mushrooms.

Cooks can further enrich the bowl with vegetables like leek and pak choi, with some variations including fruits such as apple.

The dish is finished with coriander leaves and served alongside a vegetarian dipping sauce.

Topping the global list is taameya, Egypt's version of falafel made with fava beans rather than chickpeas. Algeria's mahjouba, a semolina flatbread similar to a crepe, came in second, while Morocco's maakouda, potato fritters, took third place.