Is pho gluten-free? The noodles are, check the sauces

The noodles are, and a traditional broth is too. Pho is rice noodles (bánh phở) in a broth simmered from bones and spices, with herbs, lime and chilli on the side. None of that contains gluten. What needs your questions is everything added around it.

What to check

• Hoisin sauce, on the table and sometimes in the broth: often made with wheat.
• Soy sauce: most is brewed with wheat. Some cooks season the broth with it.
• Stock cubes or powdered stock instead of a long-simmered broth: some contain wheat.
• Fried breadsticks served for dipping (quẩy): wheat.

What to ask

Ask whether the broth contains soy sauce or stock cubes, and have your pho without hoisin. Fresh herbs, lime, chilli and fish sauce are the usual seasonings that keep it simple.

Keep reading

• The Hidden-Gluten Watchlist: the 15 forbidden names and the ones to check
• Is soy sauce gluten-free?
• Is rice gluten-free?
• Translation cards

Sources: Coeliac UK, NHS, Codex Alimentarius (gluten-free = 20 mg/kg or less), EU Regulation 1169/2011, and our own country guides. Last checked: 28 September 2026. We inform, we don’t diagnose: for medical questions, your doctor or dietitian has the last word.