Embark on a culinary adventure and craft a bowl of aromatic, soul-warming chicken pho, a Vietnamese masterpiece that celebrates patience and precision. This isn’t just a recipe; it’s an invitation to savor the journey as much as the destination. By crafting your own broth from scratch, you’ll unlock a symphony of flavors that dance on your palate. Each step, from toasting the spices to simmering the broth, is a brushstroke on the canvas of your culinary masterpiece. So, gather your ingredients, sharpen your knives, and prepare to embark on a flavorful odyssey. Remember, the most rewarding dishes are those born from careful planning and unwavering dedication. If you are not prepared to set aside a few hours for this, just hit up the Vietnamese restaurant in town. Now if you are gonna do it right, roast your own chicken. A simple salt and pepper seasoning, 300 degrees in your grill and you are well on your way of infusing some BBQ into this dish. This can be done the day before or the morning of.
Chicken Carcass – I use chicken carcass after roasting it and pulling off most of the meat to serve with the soup. Leave a little bit on the bones to maximize the flavor of the broth! If you don’t have time to roast your own chicken, a rotisserie chicken from the store will suffice. That’s it, there is the only shortcut option.
Spices – cloves, fennel, star anise, coriander (fresh and seeds) and cinnamon – infuse the broth with the authentic Pho flavor that you know and love from your favorite spots. If you have trouble finding all these individual spices locally, get the spice packet here which is already complete for you to use.
Onion and ginger – these are aromatics that are fire roasted first to add a hint of smoke and sweetness to the broth. A traditional inclusion. I went ahead and roasted a whole head of garlic as well because why not?
Fish sauce – this gives the broth complexity and depth of flavor that soy sauce can’t quite replicate, as well as salt for the broth.
Sugar – Pho actually has a hint of sweetness in its broth. A touch of sugar can help balance the sweetness in the charred ginger and onion – if you don’t use sugar, your broth will lack that little extra. The rock sugar is traditionally used, but you can actually use regular sugar.
Toppings for Chicken Pho
Pho, a signature Vietnamese dish, is very customizable, but you need a few toppings. The dish just wouldn’t be the same without these staples.
Ingredients in Chicken Pho(Pho Ga) – Vietnamese chicken noodle soup
Vermicelli rice noodles(Order Online)
Cilantro leaves
Thai Basil
Mint
Bean Sprouts
Serrano Chili slices(optional)
Shredded chicken
Hoisin sauce, chili crisp or sriracha are acceptable sauces as well.
The magic of Pho is that while the broth looks completely unassuming, probably boring even. However, it’s actually full of complex, yet delicately spiced infusion flavors. That extra special something-something that makes it unforgettable, and you won’t be able to stop eating it.
It is highly recommended that you make this Chicken broth from scratch today – no cheating with store bought stuff! Broth making is a simple concept that once you master one type of broth, it’s just a matter of mix and match and plug and play to create different flavors.
Chicken Pho broth ingredients
1 Roasted Chicken Carcass or pieces
Spices (The pho broth spice pack is available here just in case you can’t get all the ingredients).
1 tbsp cloves, 1 tbsp fennel seeds,
5 star anise
1 tbsp coriander seeds
2 cinnamon sticks
1 Roasted Onion
1 large piece of ginger
1 Roasted garlic
6 tbsp Fish sauce
4-6 pieces Rock Sugar or ⅛ cup of sugar
4 quarts water
Cilantro
Pho Broth Instructions
Char onion, garlic and ginger – this provides a subtle smoky flavor to the broth that is key to a great pho broth. Ensure the dry spices are toasted for 3-5 minutes and placed in a soup/broth bag.
Bring broth to a rolling boil. Once it has started to boil, turn the heat to simmer. A slow simmer produces a clear broth and gives you less work to do.
Simmer everything gently for 1.5 hrs to infuse the water with all those incredible flavors.
Use a big pot: Pho is a labor of love, and you will love it, but try to make enough so that if you need, you have leftovers. The broth freezes really well for use at another time.
The broth should be a little bit salty. Add salt if needed after you have added the fish sauce and tasted it for the right flavor. Also, leave the spice until at the table. Allow each person dining to add hot peppers as they choose, so as not to ruin the broth for everyone.
Prepare noodles per instructions on the bag, but, here is a HOT TIP.
Rinse noodles with cold water until it runs clear. Then portion the noodles into piles on a wire rack. This way each person dining just grabs a pile for their bowl. My favorite brand of noodles for all my Asian dishes is the Three Lady Brand.
So now you have your toppings prepared, the broth is simmered and has the perfect flavor and the noodles are ready. It is time to take a well earned trip to Saigon with your bowl of pho. Time to enjoy with your friends and family, as was intended.
How to assemble?
I prefer to add to the empty bowl, the bigger the better, my noodles and bean sprouts. Then place the chicken and herbs like cilantro, mint and Thai basil. Then pour copious amounts of that delicious broth over them. Then you MUST, without hesitation, taste the pho broth as a show of appreciation for all your hard work. Feeling a little fancy? Add some hoisin sauce, fresh chili slices and maybe some chili crunch. Go to town and enjoy this artfully crafted bowl of delicious soul warming goodness.
I truly hope that you can look at this recipe not just as a task, but a journey. One to be savored, like a trip to the Asian Continent.
Leave a comment below and let me know how you like the recipe.
