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.
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.
