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Chicken Pho Soup Recipe

This Vietnamese Chicken Pho is a light, comforting soup with rich, aromatic broth, tender chicken, and rice noodles. Perfectly balanced and easy to make, it’s a wholesome favorite for any season.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Vietnamese
Servings 6
Calories 501 kcal

Equipment

  • Large soup pot or stockpot
  • Tongs
  • Strainer or fine-mesh sieve
  • Knife and chopping board
  • Ladle
  • Small skillet (for charring aromatics)
  • Bowls for serving

Ingredients
  

Charred aromatics:

  • 1 tbsp oil vegetable or canola (or other plain oil)
  • 2 onions halved (skin on fine)
  • 5 cm/ 2" piece of ginger sliced 0.75cm / 1/3″ thick (unpeeled)

Pho Soup Broth:

  • 2 litres / 2 quarts water
  • 1.5 kg / 3 lb chicken thighs bone in skin
  • 1 small bunch coriander/cilantro
  • 5 star anise pods
  • 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

Noodle Bowls:

  • 360 g / 13 oz dried rice noodles thin flat (or 600g fresh)
  • 2 green onions stems finely sliced

Toppings – help yourself:

  • 3 cups bean sprouts
  • 1 small bunch EACH Thai Basil min, coriander/cilantro
  • 2 limes cut into 4 wedges
  • Hoisin sauce
  • Sriracha
  • Red chillies finely sliced (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Heat oil and char onion and ginger in a skillet until well browned.
  • In a large pot, add water, chicken, charred aromatics, spices, fish sauce, sugar, and salt.
  • Bring to a boil, then simmer for 45 minutes.
  • Skim any foam and fat from the top while cooking.
  • Remove chicken, shred the meat, and discard bones and skin.
  • Strain broth and return to the pot to keep warm.
  • Cook noodles as per package instructions, then drain.
  • Assemble bowls with noodles, shredded chicken, hot broth, and desired toppings.