Chicken Pho: Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup

Yield: 4 servings
Time: Active: 20 minutes Inactive: 1 hour

Ingredients:
Broth Ingredients:
3 inch cinnamon stick
3 star anise, whole
2 cloves, whole
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and halved
1 large onion, peeled and halved
5 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Final Soup Ingredients:
¼ cup fresh cilantro
¼ cup scallions, thinly sliced
flat rice noodles, cooked (Pad Thai Noodles)
1 lemon, cut into wedges
½ cup bean sprouts
¼ cup Thai basil
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced (See Note)
Asian chilli sauce such as Sirarcha (Optional) (See Note)

Notes:

• Cook the noodles as per the package instructions.
• I have never been to Vietnam, and all the Pho I’ve eaten is in Pho shops in the US. This has conditioned my palate to loving the addition of jalapenos and Sirarcha to a classic bowl of Pho. A classic Vietnamese preparation would use bird’s eye chilli instead.

Method:

1. In a large non-stick pot, dry roast the cinnamon, star anise, cloves and coriander seeds over medium-low heat. Stir continuously to prevent burning.
2. When you can smell the aroma of the spices, add the ginger and onion. Char on a low flame (without oil) until slightly blackened. (Since we are not using any oil, a good quality non-stick pot is very essential)
3. Add the chicken stock, soy and fish sauce. Bring to a boil. Once it reaches a roiling boil reduce the heat to low, and simmer covered for 20 minutes.
4. After 20 minutes add the chicken breasts to the broth and simmer, covered on low for another 10 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat and remove the cooked chicken breast. Allow it to cool and then shred it.
6. Let the broth sit off the heat undisturbed for another 30 minutes to 2 hours. This resting time allows the flavours to deepen. After the resting time drain the liquid discard all the solids.
7. Once you are ready to serve heat up the broth. Once heated, turn off the heat and stir in the cilantro and scallions. Taste the broth and adjust – soy or fish sauce or salt.
8. Divide among the 4 bowls the noodles and shredded chicken. Top each bowl with the hot broth.
9. Serve piping hot alongside the garnishing of lemon wedges, bean sprouts, Thai basil, jalapenos, and chilli sauce. This allows everyone to garnish and season their soup to taste.