Recipe
prep time:
10 minutes
Chicken Pho
Oh. My. Pho. Have you ever had Chicken Pho before? Prounounced “Fuh,” it is an aromatic Vietnamese soup made with rice noodles and typically chicken or beef. The flavor combination is so simple- onions and ginger are added while cooking the chicken- and it’s finished with a garnish of limes, mung bean sprouts, and fresh basil leaves. Let your children decorate their soup with the different toppings before digging into the delicious noodles and flavorful broth. This soup takes about 10 minutes to prep, but a few hours to cook, so it’s great to make on the weekend when you’re around the house. And by the way, if you’ve never visited Charles Phan’s famous restaurant “The Slanted Door” in San Francisco, it is worth the trip the next time you’re here. Nobody does Vietnamese food better!
Chicken- Gluten Free
- Dairy Free
Ingredients
- 2 unpeeled yellow onions, quartered
- 3 1/2-inch thick slices of fresh ginger, smashed
- 3-4 qt cold water
- 2 lbs chicken wings
- 1 whole chicken (about 4-5 lbs), quartered
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 cup Asian fish sauce
- 1 lb dried rice noodles (I like the really skinny ones)
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
- 2 cups mung bean sprouts
- 1 bunch basil leaves, torn
- 2 limes, cut into 4 wedges each
- 2 jalapenos, thinly sliced
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the onions and ginger on a baking sheet and roast for 20-30 minutes, or until the onions are just browned. Place the ginger and onions in an 8 qt. stockpot, and add the water, chicken wings, chicken, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
Use tongs to remove the chicken from the pot and allow it to cool until it’s easy to handle with your hands. Remove the meat from the bones and refrigerate it. Return the skin and bones to the stockpot and simmer for 2 more hours. (Trust me- this is where all of the flavor comes in the broth!) Strain the chicken broth through a fine mesh strainer into another stock pot. Cook over high heat until reduced to about 12 cups, about 15-20 minutes Stir in the fish sauce. (You can make the soup ahead of time through this point and refrigerate for up to 3 days.)
Fill a large bowl with warm water. Soak the rice noodles for about 20 minutes, or until they’re pliable. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drain the noodles, then add them to the boiling water and cook for about 3 minutes. Drain the noodles and place them in 6 large bowls. Sprinkle with the scallions. Add the reserved chicken to the broth and simmer until the chicken is reheated. Ladle the broth and chicken over the noddles. Serve with the bean sprouts, basil, lime wedges, and jalapenos (optional).
Use tongs to remove the chicken from the pot and allow it to cool until it’s easy to handle with your hands. Remove the meat from the bones and refrigerate it. Return the skin and bones to the stockpot and simmer for 2 more hours. (Trust me- this is where all of the flavor comes in the broth!) Strain the chicken broth through a fine mesh strainer into another stock pot. Cook over high heat until reduced to about 12 cups, about 15-20 minutes Stir in the fish sauce. (You can make the soup ahead of time through this point and refrigerate for up to 3 days.)
Fill a large bowl with warm water. Soak the rice noodles for about 20 minutes, or until they’re pliable. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drain the noodles, then add them to the boiling water and cook for about 3 minutes. Drain the noodles and place them in 6 large bowls. Sprinkle with the scallions. Add the reserved chicken to the broth and simmer until the chicken is reheated. Ladle the broth and chicken over the noddles. Serve with the bean sprouts, basil, lime wedges, and jalapenos (optional).
Comments
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cook time:
3 hours
3 hours
serves:
6
6
family
156 family added this recipe
156 family added this recipe
Kidz Version: Serve jalapeno slices on the side
Recipe: Recipe adapted from Charles Phan’s Chicken Pho, featured in Food and Wine Magazine
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Karen Ruane says:
This was absolutely AMAZING! The flavors had such depth - it beat most pho I've had in restaurants! This is definitely going in my recipe book.
Becky McCahan says:
Hi Amanda, I can't wait to try this recipe as I love Thai and Vietnamese flavors. I have had a number of cooking classes (Thai and others) and notice that there seems to be brand preferences in fish sauces depending on the recipes country or region origin. I have also found that some not all fish sauces are the same and the right one can really make a dish taste more authentic. Is there a brand you recommend to accomplish the best flavor for this soup? Please advise, Becky McCahan