Phở Gà (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup)

If there’s one thing Vietnamese people can’t resist, it’s a steaming bowl of hot soup - any season, any time! Even in sweltering 100°F heat, we'll still be craving a comforting bowl of some type of soup.

Pho, the iconic Vietnamese noodle soup, has captured hearts worldwide. With two main varieties - rich beef pho and lighter, easier-to-make chicken pho - there's a version for every taste. Chicken pho is a true crowd-pleaser, with tender chicken, silky flat rice noodles, and a fragrant broth packed with bold, aromatic flavors. Served alongside fresh vegetables, herbs, and lime wedges, allowing you to personalize the flavors right at the table!

ingredients

Pho Broth and Seasonings 

• 1 whole chicken, 4-5 lbs, clean with salt and water prior

• 2 medium yellow onion, cut in half

• 4 inch ginger, unpeeled and cut in half

• 5 star anise

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 4 cloves

• 6 quarts of water

• 10 tbsp of fish sauce

• 2 tbsp of sugar

• Kosher salt

Noodles

• Dried OR fresh rice pho noodles*

Toppings

• 2 stalks of green onion, chopped

• 1 bunch of cilantro

• Thai basil 

• Bean sprouts 

• Jalapeno, sliced

• Lime, cut into wedges 

• Hoisin sauce

• Sriracha 

instructions

1. Roast yellow onion and ginger on broil (450F) for 20 mins (flip halfway) until dark brown but not blackened.

2. In the large stock pot, toast star anise, cinnamon stick, and cloves until aromatic for a few minutes.

3. Then add water, chicken, ginger, yellow onion, fish sauce, and sugar, and bring the pot to a boil. Then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook, uncovered for 1.5 to 2 hours. Remove scum (dirty foam) that rises to the surface once or twice during simmering.

4. Remove the chicken and once cool enough to handle, hand shred the meat and set aside — discard bones and skin. Remove all solids from the broth with a strainer into a clean pot.

5. Season the stock with additional fish sauce and sugar as needed, and bring broth to a gentle simmer. 

6. Prepare your garnishes by cleaning and cutting as needed — green onion, cilantro, Thai basil, bean sprouts, jalapeno and lime.

7. Cook rice noodles per packaged instructions when you’re ready to serve.

8. Add rice noodles to a bowl, shredded chicken and ladle in hot broth. Garnish with your choice of toppings and enjoy! I like to enjoy pho with hoisin sauce and sriracha on the side to dip.

Notes:

• To make a truly authentic and flavorful pho ga, traditionally, free-range chicken is used. The meat of free-range chicken is chewier, just how the Vietnamese like it. However, it is also more expensive.

• If you’re on a time crunch, you can cut the whole chicken into pieces so that it cooks faster!

• You will a pot big enough fit the whole chicken and all the extras without overflowing. A 6 quart stockpot for this recipe will do. If you have a smaller pot, it’s ok too. Just don’t put all the water in once. Make the stock with the reduced water and once the chicken has shrunken and some liquid has evaporated, add the rest of the water.

• *Fresh rice noodles can be found at any Asian supermarket like Ranch 99 or H Mart.

• Plain rice noodles will dilute the broth once added, and topping it with vegetables like bean sprouts which have high water content, will thin it even more. To avoid this, it's best to over-season the stock and make a saltier broth. This way, the final dish will be perfectly balanced.

• If you have leftovers, be sure to store the ingredients separately in the fridge. Do not combine the noodles with the broth, as the noodles will absorb all the liquid if stored together.