The Best Pho Recipe
Pho is a delicious and hearty Vietnamese soup that consists of broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat. It is very popular in Vietnam on the street or in restaurants alike.
This delicious pho soup is usually made with beef, but sometimes it calls for chicken.
My recipe uses chicken, making it Pho Ga. I prefer chicken as it is lighter and less intense, it is utterly delicious nonetheless!
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Main Ingredients for Chicken Pho
The ingredients for this recipe is long, but the end result is well worth it!
- Onions
- Ginger
- Coriander seeds
- Peppercorns
- Chickens
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Fish sauce
- Rice noodles
- Bean sprouts
- Cilantro
- Thai basil
- Shallots
- Limes
The end result feeds up to 8 people so this dish is absolutely great to share with family and friends, and hopefully a Pho Ga party is in your plan in the near future.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Healthy Is Pho?
When you compare pho to other fast foods, pho gives quite a lot of nutrients while being relatively low in calories. Be aware of MSG commonly used in pho in restaurants. This recipe does not use MSG.
How Is Pho Pronounced?
Pho is pronounced as “fuh”.
How Many Calories Is Chicken Pho?
A serving has 351 calories.
What Dishes to Serve with This Recipe?
This dish is best served with bean sprouts, hot sauce, and hoisin sauce. For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Pho Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup)
Chicken Pho - hearty Vietnamese chicken noodles soup, hearty and super delicious. Get the easy recipe.
Ingredients
For the Broth:
- 2 yellow onions, cut in half
- 2 oz. (60 g) fresh ginger, crushed
- 3 sticks cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon peppercorns
- 10 star anise
- 1 tablespoon cardamom
- 2 2 lb. (1 kg) whole organic chickens
- 3 lb. (1.5 kg) organic chicken bones
- 2 carrots
- 1/2 bunch celery
- 2 daikon radishes
- 1/4 head green cabbage
- 6 qt. (6 L) filtered water
- 3 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce, best quality, low-sodium, for example: Red Boat Fish Sauce
- 1 oz. (28 g) rock sugar
Noodles:
- 1 lb. (450 g) fresh noodles
- 1 lb. (450 g) bean sprouts
- shreddred cooked chicken breasts, from above
- 12 sprigs Thai basil
- 12 fresh cilantro leaves
- 3 Thai chilies, thinly sliced
- 1 red onion, sliced paper thin
- 1 cup (60 g) green onions, chopped
- 1 cup (32 g) chopped cilantro
- 1 cup (160 g) roasted shallots, can be bought in any Asian market
- black pepper to taste
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
- hot sauce
- hoisin sauce
Instructions
Broth:
- Place the onions and ginger directly on a medium-hot grill. Using tongs, rotate onion and ginger occasionally, cooking until slightly soft. Set aside.
- Put cinnamon sticks, coriander seeds, peppercorns, star anise, and cardamom in a dry skillet and toast for five minutes to release the oil.
- To achieve a clear broth, put both chicken and bones in a 10 quart soup pot. Fill water to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil over high heat; let it boil vigorously for 3 minutes to release the impurities. Pour the chicken and water into a clean sink, and then rinse the chicken and bones with cold water to wash off all residue.
- Clean out the same pot and return the chicken and bones into the pot with grilled onions, ginger, all toasted spices, and vegetables.
- Pour in the water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then lower the heat to simmer. Use a ladle to skim off any scum that rises to the top. Simmer for 45 minutes.
- Remove the four chicken breasts and set aside. Continue simmering broth for one and a half hours.
- Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve. Add fish sauce and sugar, adjusting to suit your taste.
Noodles:
- Place fresh noodles in a colander or strainer and dip in boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain well.
- Untangle noodles and divide into eight portions.
- In each of eight bowls, place bean sprouts, noodles, chicken breast, basil, all of the cilantro, chilies, onions, green onions, shallots, and pepper.
- Pour hot broth on top.
- Add lime juice, hot sauce, and hoisin sauce to taste.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size
8 peopleAmount Per Serving Calories 351Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 0mgSodium 1839mgCarbohydrates 59gFiber 7gSugar 12gProtein 10g
Marie Czarnecki
Now I have to try this soup, it has much nutrients in it and very good.
Neli Howard | Delicious Meets Healthy
Superb recipe. Can’t get enough of this soup! It’s nearly a meal by itself.
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks please try more recipes on my site: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
Kumar vishwas Pagli ladki
Oh my Goodness this looks amazing – such great flavors and recipe:)
Levi Le
Late to the party, but out on the West Coast (in Portland at least), they use fresh basil in place of cilantro and that’s really good too. :)
Levi Le
very nice, these certainly work for breakfast, love all of the extra greens and understand your preference for skipping the cheese in this recipe, thank you!
– Levi Le
http://tieuchuansanpham.com/
Carol
I noticed that you don’t say to peel the roasted ginger or onions. Don’t you find the charred skins makes the broth too cloudy?
Torsten
These look pretty scrumptious… You’ve made me hungry!
laly
soup seems to be nourishing for my tiny tots. love this
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com
Has to be one of my favorite comfort food. Ever. Pinned!
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Kiran.
Arthur in the Garden!
Pho is my favorite!