Simplest Chicken Pho
Makes around 6 servings | Prep Time 15 minutes | Cook Time 25 minutes
The traditional Vietnamese soup pho (pronounced “fuh”) is a mixture of Chinese and French cuisines. Pho can take a long time to cook, but I’ve
come up with a shortcut. Here you take out your cheesecloth, put in spices including coriander seeds and peppercorns, and add cut-up ginger and onion. Then you tie the cheesecloth like a hobo sack to the corner of the pot and delight as the aromatics infuse into the pot. In 20 minutes you have pho broth, into which you place the rice noodles. Finish the pho with a garnish of thinly sliced jalapeños, mung bean sprouts, Thai basil, and mint, and you’ve got an incredibly nourishing dish that’s exploding with flavor.
Instructions
Wrap the ginger, coriander seeds, cloves, peppercorns, and onion in an 11 by 16-inch piece of cheesecloth. Tie the cheesecloth with butcher’s twine, leaving a few extra inches to secure the pouch to the pot. In a soup pot, combine the stock, salt, sugar, and fish sauce. Secure the herb pouch to the soup pot, making sure it’s completely submerged in the stock, and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove and discard the spice bag. Taste; you may want to add a bit more fish sauce.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, soak the rice noodles in warm water until softened, about 10 minutes. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil, add the noodles, and cook for 3 minutes, or just until tender. Drain well.
To assemble, divide the noodles and chicken among 6 bowls, ladle in broth to cover, and top with the scallions and cilantro. Serve with a plate of the bean sprouts, mint, basil, jalapeño, and lime wedges alongside. Or store in an air- tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
COOK’S NOTE: Play with the timing on the noodles. If you cook them until al dente, they will finish cooking in the hot broth.
VARIATION: If you don’t want to use rice noodles, try spiralized zucchini or daikon noodles instead.
Reprinted with permission from Clean Soups by Rebecca Katz
Ingredients
Broth
1 (4-inch) piece fresh ginger, unpeeled and sliced
2 teaspoons coriander seeds, toasted in a dry skillet for about 30 seconds, until fragrant
2 whole cloves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 small yellow onion, halved
2 quarts Old-Fashioned Chicken Stock (page 39)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon coconut palm sugar
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons fish sauce, plus more if needed
Bowls
1 pound thin rice noodles
11⁄2 cups cooked and shredded organic chicken (see Cook’s Note on page 92)
4 scallions, green part only, thinly sliced
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Garnishes
2 cups mung bean sprouts
12 sprigs fresh mint
12 sprigs fresh Thai basil
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
2 limes, cut into wedges