Chicken Pho Soup

It's actually easy to make homemade Chicken Pho Soup (pronounced "fuh"), which is Vietnam's iconic soup. Traditionally made with a clear broth infused with spices, served with rice noodles. meat, and fresh herbs and garnishes, this recipe speeds things up with a Rotisserie Chicken. I always make leftover Turkey Pho after the holidays because it's a nourishing and low fat meal after all the rich holiday meals.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Easier to Make Than You Think - whether using a Costco Rotisserie Chicken or Leftover Turkey, anyone can Pho with minimal effort and maximum flavor. In a hurry, you can even buy Chicken Broth to speed things up (although using chicken carcass for broth is healthier than store-bought)
• Aromatic but not Heavy - soups have a reputation of sometimes being heavy to stodgy, but not Pho. The broth tastes complex, but surprisingly light
• Super Customizable - everyone gets to build their own bowl, add the amount of noodles, meat and herbs, ideal of a family dinner or serving for guests
• Fresh Garnishes - this keeps it fresh, light and balanced between warm, spiced broth and crunchy herbs and cooling lime, not your average meal
• Choose Your Meat - I always default to Chicken or Turkey, but you can use your favorite meats like thinly sliced, rare Beef Steak or Brisket, small Beef Meatballs, Tripe, Seafood (shrimp, squid or fish), Pork or Ham. You can also make a non-traditional vegetarian version

Ingredients

Pho Broth Ingredients

• 4 Quarts or Liters Chicken Broth (or Leftover Turkey Broth)
• 1 piece of Ginger (about 3 to 4 inches long) no need to peel, sliced in half
• 5 Star Anise Pods
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 4 Whole Cloves
• 1 tablespoon Coriander Seeds
• 1 tablespoon Fennel Seeds
• Cilantro (fresh Coriander) including stems about 1 packed cup
• 8 teaspoons Fish Sauce
• 5 teaspoons White Sugar (to balance flavors)

Meat and Noodles

• Rotisserie Chicken Meat (shredded or sliced) or use leftover Turkey
  Meat
• 12 oz (375g) Rice Noodles (Banh Pho)

Pho Garnish and Toppings

• fresh Thai Basil (can substitute with regular Basil)
• fresh Cilantro (fresh Coriander)
• fresh Mint Leaves
• Green Onions thinly sliced (or sliced White Onion)
• Bean Sprouts (optional)
• Red Chili Peppers (Cayenne or Serrano) thinly sliced
• Lime Wedges
• Hoisin Sauce or Sriracha for dipping the meat (do not add into broth)

How to Make Chicken Pho Soup

Making Pho Broth

1. Prepare Chicken Broth - for best flavor, make a homemade Chicken Stock using a whole chicken in stockpot filled with water. Add ingredients as per below and simmer for 1½ hours. Strain and save the meat. This recipe is ideal to use Leftover Turkey from the holidays. Alternatively it's easy to use store-bought Chicken Stock.
2. Heat Aromatics - place Star Anise Cinnamon Stick, Cloves, Coriander Seeds, Fennel Seeds into a skillet. Toast over medium heat for about 2 minutes until fragrant. Be careful not to burn. Set aside in a small bowl.
3. Char Ginger - place ginger, cut side down, onto the same dry skillet.
   Cook until surfaces are blackened and skins start to blister. Takes about 5 minutes. The blackened parts just add more flavor to broth.
4. Make Pho Broth - place Chicken Broth into a stockpot. Add charred Ginger and toasted spices. Mix in fresh Cilantro, Fish Sauce and Sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and gently simmer for about 45 minutes.
5. Strain - pour into a colander lined with a cheesecloth into a large bowl or pot. Discard the solids. Taste. If soup has reduced too much, add some hot water. Adjust seasonings (Salt) if needed. Flavor should be strong and a bit salty, as the noodles dilute the depth.

Prepare Meat and Noodles

1. Shred Leftover Meat - discard any skin and bones. Chicken Breast or cooked Turkey Breast is best. Shred using a fork or slice into pieces. I like to put this directly into the broth to heat, but traditionally you're supposed to add into each bowl, then pour the broth over it. You choose!
2. Prepare Rice Noodles - according to instructions on the package.
   Should be al dente. Portion into individual bowls or keep in colander until ready to serve.

Assemble Chicken Pho

1. Set Table - place the Toppings onto the table
2. Prepare Bowls - place cooked Rice Noodles into each individual bowl.
   Top with leftover Chicken or Turkey (if not in the broth).
3. Pour Broth - ladle over hot Pho Broth over the noodles. Sprinkle with Green Onions.
4. Add Toppings - choose your favorite toppings and spoon over your Chicken Pho Soup. Always add Basil, Coriander and Red Chili Peppers as a minimum. Remember the Hoisin or Sriracha is only for dipping the meats before eating, not to add to the soup!

Pho Flavor Variations

• Leftover Turkey Pho - this is my favorite lower calorie soup after the holidays. After so much indulgence, this clear, light and flavorful broth feels like it cleanses and fills me in a heartwarming way. A great way to use up leftovers, without making it taste like leftovers
• Beef Pho - the most common Pho, topped with thinly sliced rare Steak (which finishes cooking in the bowl of hot broth), or Brisket, Tripe, or even Beef Meatballs
• Seafood Pho - less common but made with squid, shrimp and fish, usually in coastal towns
• Vegetarian Pho - this one I actually struggled to perfect the flavors. Of course you can do all the vegetarian things, use vegetable stock, add Tofu or Tempeh, add Mushrooms etc... But the secret to a good Pho is the stock, and Vegetable Stock with vegetarian Fish Sauce does not do justice to balancing the flavors and is missing umami. If needing Vegetarian Pho, make a homemade Vegetable Stock for best results.

Recipe Tips and FAQs

• Fish Sauce is Key - use a quality Vietnamese Fish Sauce for the best, authentic flavor. I honestly don't believe this can be substituted and the flavor maintained - however if you need to substitute, use Soy Sauce and a dash or Worcestershire, or a Vegan Fish Sauce
• Skip the Bean Sprouts - if you're not a fan of Sprouts like me, substitute with thinly sliced Cabbage or julienned Zucchini (not traditional but adds more vegetables)
• Don't Skip Toasting Spices - it only takes an extra 2 minutes to toast the spices, this releases natural oils and releases flavor
• Make Traditional Broth - it's easy to make Pho Broth using leftover Chicken Carcass or rotisserie Chicken, but you can simmer a whole raw chicken (or thighs and drumsticks) for a more traditional method. This method will take longer - simmer for 1½ hours before straining. Pro Tip: place the chicken into a pot filled with water and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. This removes impurities. Discard the blanching liquid, rinse meat and fill pot with water to make broth.
• Make Beef Pho - the other classic Pho, make a Beef Broth then add thinly sliced, rare strips of Beef to your soup.

Can I Use an Instant Pot?

Yes, I love using Instant Pot to make soups! This method adds a bit more intensity so there is a few small difference in preparation.

1. Toast the Spices and char the Ginger.
2. Add a Whole Chicken, an Onion, Ginger, Spices and about ½ of the Cilantro (pressuring cooking intensifies flavor) into the Instant Pot. Cook for 45 minutes.
3. Strain and separate solids from broth. Set aside meat to add into soup for later.
4. Season broth with Fish Sauce, Salt and Sugar to balance out flavors. Adjust as needed, it should taste a bit stronger than needed as Noodles and Herbs with mellow flavor in bowls.
5. Now you're ready to assemble bowls. Build bowls with cooked Rice Noodles, Chicken, fresh Herbs, Green Onions, Limes, and Hoisin/Sriracha Sauce.

What Noodles to Use for Pho?

Medium-width Flat Rice Noodles are best for Pho, often labeled Banh Pho or just Rice Noodles. In a pinch, you could use thin, Rice Vermicelli but it changes the texture and eating experience as they are slippery. Flat and wide is the way to go.

Storage and Reheating

• Fridge - place strained Pho Broth in an airtight container and place in fridge for 3-4 days. Store cooked Meat, cooked Noodles and Garnishes separately. Noodles will continue to absorb liquids, leaving minimal broth.
• Freezer - place cooled Pho Broth in airtight freezer proof container or in a Ziploc bag (lay flat to freeze to make space). Freeze for up to 3 months. Freeze leftover Meats, but do not freeze Noodles or Herbs. These are best prepared fresh when ready to serve. Thaw overnight in fridge before heating.
• Reheating - reheat gently in pot on stove. Taste and adjust seasoning - adding splash of Fish Sauce, pinch of Sugar or Salt. Assemble as per recipe with fresh Herbs, cooked Rice Noodles and Garnishes.

Asian Recipes You'll Love

• Thai Lettuce Wraps & San Choy Bow
• Salmon Rice Bowl with Crispy Salmon
• Salt and Pepper Shrimp
• Easy Chicken Banh Mi
• Crispy Asian Roast Potatoes
• Kimchi Fried Rice
• Thai Beef Rissoles
• Chinese Pickled Garlic
• Chinese Spicy Smashed Cucumber Salad

Introduce the flavors of Vietnam to your family with this Chicken Pho Soup. A practical way to use up Rotisserie Chicken (always from Costco😂) or Turkey Pho leftover from the holidays, perfect to share with friends who appreciate a tasty homemade soup. Surprisingly easy to make, the effort doesn't match the punch of the flavor it provides. The hero is the Broth, topped with Noodles, Meat and fresh Herbs, transforming lunch or dinner into a truly memorable meal. Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!

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