Easy Chicken Pho Recipe with Aromatic Broth
shared by Nibblore Kitchen
This quick Vietnamese chicken noodle soup pairs tender shredded chicken and rice noodles with a clear, aromatic broth infused with charred onion, ginger, and whole spices. Using good-quality prepared stock builds flavor quickly, while briefly toasting the spices and assembling each bowl separately keeps the broth fragrant and the noodles springy. It is a warming lunch or light dinner that can be on the table in under an hour. • Keep the broth at a gentle simmer after adding the chicken; vigorous boiling can make both the meat and broth less delicate. • Use a low-sodium stock so the fish sauce can provide savory depth without making the finished soup overly salty. • Cook and store the noodles separately from the broth to prevent them from swelling and turning soft. • For the clearest broth, skim foam during poaching and strain without pressing on the aromatics. • Use 450 g boneless skinless chicken breast instead of thighs; begin checking the internal temperature after 10 minutes of gentle simmering. • Replace Thai basil with additional cilantro or fresh mint if Thai basil is unavailable. • Substitute 1 tablespoon maple syrup for the brown sugar for a similarly rounded sweetness. • If medium rice noodles are unavailable, use thin rice vermicelli and follow its shorter package cooking time. Refrigerate cooled broth, chicken, noodles, and garnishes in separate airtight containers for up to 3 days. Freeze the broth and chicken together for up to 2 months, but do not freeze the cooked noodles or fresh garnishes. Reheat the broth and chicken in a saucepan to a full simmer, warm the noodles for 20 to 30 seconds in hot water, drain, and assemble with fresh garnishes.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Beginner-friendly
Create a free account to keep this recipe in your own cookbook and find it again when it’s time to cook.
Save to my cookbook — freeIngredients
- 225 gdried flat rice noodles, medium width
- 1yellow onion, peeled and halved through the root
- 40 gfresh ginger, halved lengthwise
- 2whole star anise
- 1cinnamon stick, about 8 cm long
- 1 tspcoriander seeds
- 3whole cloves
- 1 ½ lgluten-free chicken stock, preferably low-sodium
- 500 gboneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
- 2 tbspgluten-free fish sauce
- 2 tsplight brown sugar
- ½ tspfine sea salt, plus more as needed
- 2scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 cupbean sprouts, rinsed and drained
- ½ cupfresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
- ½ cupThai basil leaves
- 1jalapeño, thinly sliced
- 1lime, cut into wedges
Instructions
- 1Heat a dry 5- to 6-liter pot over medium-high heat. Place the onion and ginger cut-side down in the pot and cook undisturbed for 4 to 5 minutes, until their cut surfaces are deeply browned in spots. Transfer them to a plate.
- 2Reduce the heat to medium. Add the star anise, cinnamon, coriander seeds, and cloves to the same pot. Toast for 60 to 90 seconds, shaking the pot frequently, until fragrant; do not let the spices blacken.
- 3Return the onion and ginger to the pot. Add the chicken stock, chicken thighs, fish sauce, brown sugar, and salt. Bring just to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Partially cover and cook for 14 to 17 minutes, skimming away any foam, until the thickest chicken thigh reaches 74°C on an instant-read thermometer.
- 4Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes. Continue simmering the broth uncovered for another 5 minutes. Shred the chicken into bite-size pieces with two forks.
- 5While the broth simmers, cook the rice noodles according to the package directions, usually 4 to 6 minutes in boiling water. Drain as soon as they are tender but still resilient, rinse briefly under cool water, and divide among four large soup bowls.
- 6Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan, discarding the onion, ginger, and whole spices. Return it to medium heat until steaming, then taste and add a little more salt or fish sauce if needed. The broth should taste slightly more assertive than desired because the noodles will dilute it.
- 7Divide the shredded chicken among the bowls. Ladle the piping-hot broth over the chicken and noodles. Top with scallions and serve immediately with bean sprouts, cilantro, Thai basil, jalapeño, and lime wedges for diners to add as desired.