Vietnamese Chicken Pho soup (Pho Ga)
Recipe video above. Chicken Pho (Pho Ga) - the little sister of famous Beef Pho, equally delicious but much easier to make! I call it the Vietnamese version of homemade chicken noodle soup made from scratch. Except - dare I say it - so much more exciting!You won't use all the chicken, but it's infused with lovely flavour so there's loads of uses - see Note 7.
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr 30 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 tbsp oil (, vegetable or canola (or other plain oil))
- 2 onions (, halved (skin on fine))
- 5cm/ 2" piece of ginger (, sliced 0.75cm / 1/3" thick (unpeeled))
- 2 litres / 2 quarts water
- 1.5 kg / 3 lb chicken thighs, bone in skin on ((Note 1))
- 1 small bunch coriander/cilantro ((Note 2))
- 5 star anise pods ((was short in photo & video!))
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- 8 tsp fish sauce
- 6 tsp white sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt ((Cooking/kosher salt, or 1/2 tsp table salt))
- 360g / 13 oz dried rice noodles (, thin flat (or 600g fresh))
- 2 green onions stems (, finely sliced)
- 3 cups bean sprouts ((Note 3))
- 1 small bunch EACH Thai Basil, min, coriander/cilantro ((Note 4))
- 2 limes (, cut into 4 wedges)
- Hoisin sauce
- Sriracha
- Red chillies (, finely sliced (optional))
Instructions
- 1
Char onion & ginger - Heat oil in a 6 litre / 6 quart pot (Note 5) over high heat. Place ginger and onion facedown, leave undisturbed for 2 minutes until they blacken. Turn and leave for another 2 minutes.
- 2
Put everything in pot - Add water and remaining Broth ingredients EXCEPT salt. Bring it a simmer, then lower heat so it's simmering VERY gently with the lid on, but open a crack (Note 6).
- 3
Simmer gently 1.5 hours. Scoop off scum (dirty foam) that rises to surface once or twice during the simmering.
- 4
Strain & measure - Remove chicken, then strain broth into a clean pot - you should have 1.5 litres / 1.5 quarts. If you have more, simmer to reduce. If less, top it up with water.
- 5
Salt broth - Add salt, bring broth to a gentle simmer. Broth should be slightly on the salty side - it dilutes when you add the noodles.
- 6
Keep broth warm until ready to serve
- 7
Shred chicken meat, discard bones and skin. (Note 6 Leftover Chicken ideas)
- 8
Place Toppings out on the table.
- 9
Reheat chicken (can briefly dunk in broth!).
- 10
Prepare noodles per packet directions, just prior to serving. Drain very well (excess water dilutes broth).
- 11
Place noodle in bowls. Top with chicken, ladle over 375ml / 1.5 cups broth. Sprinkle with green onion.
- 12
Pile on Toppings of choice, add a squeeze of lime into the broth. Consume immediately!