How to make PHO GA (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup)

Ingredients

• 1 whole Free‑Range Chicken (about 1.2 kg, skin left on)
• 1 tablespoon Salt (for broth seasoning)
• 1 teaspoon Chicken Stock Powder (enhances broth flavor)
• 1 piece Onion (peeled, added for clear broth)
• 1 bunch Spring Onion (one used for stuffing, rest for garnish)
• 1 knob Fresh Ginger (about double thumb size, for stuffing and aromatics)
• 3 pieces Shallots (aromatics, halved)
• 1 piece Cinnamon Stick (whole stick for broth)
• 2 pieces Star Anise (whole, for broth)
• 6 pieces Coriander Roots (keep roots for broth; can freeze for later use)
• 5 leaves Kaffir Lime Leaves (thinly shredded for garnish; frozen if fresh unavailable)
• 400 g Rice Noodles (Pho Noodles) (dry, medium width)
• 100 g Bean Sprouts (optional, blanched for serving)
• 2 tablespoons Hoisin Sauce (optional, for serving)
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha (optional, for serving)
• a handful sprigs Asian Sweet Basil (garnish)
• to taste pinch Black Pepper (season chicken)

Instructions

1. Clean and Stuff the Chicken

   Rub the whole chicken with a tablespoon of salt to remove any poultry odor, rinse under cold running water, then stuff the cavity with a few spring onion stalks and two slices of ginger.

   Time: PT10M

2. Start the Broth

   Place the chicken in a large pot, add 4 L of water, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tsp chicken stock powder, and the peeled onion. Bring to a rolling boil, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.

   Time: PT10M

3. Simmer the Chicken

   Reduce heat to medium and let the chicken simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the meat is tender and no red liquid appears when pierced with a chopstick.

   Time: PT45M

   Temperature: medium

4. Prepare Aromatics

   While the broth simmers, gather a knob of ginger (double thumb size), 3 shallots, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 star anise, and 6 coriander roots. Slice the ginger and halve the shallots.

   Time: PT5M

5. Char the Aromatics

   Grill the ginger, shallots, cinnamon stick, star anise, and coriander roots directly over high heat (or under a broiler) until the outside is nicely charred. Rinse quickly under warm water and gently scrape off excess char.

   Time: PT10M

   Temperature: high

6. Bundle the Aromatics

   Place the charred aromatics into a piece of cheesecloth or a tea bag and tie tightly.

   Time: PT2M

7. Infuse the Broth

   Thirty minutes before you plan to serve, add the bundled aromatics to the simmering broth and continue cooking.

   Time: PT30M

   Temperature: medium

8. Cook the Rice Noodles

   Boil a pot of water, add the dry rice noodles and cook according to package directions (about 5 minutes) until they can be broken easily. Drain, rinse under cold running water, then rinse briefly with hot water to dry and keep the strands separate.

   Time: PT10M

   Temperature: boiling

9. Shred the Chicken

   When the chicken is fully cooked, remove it, rinse under cold water to stop further cooking, let it cool completely, then debone and either slice into bite‑size pieces or shred by hand. Lightly season with salt and pepper.

   Time: PT10M

10. Prepare Garnishes

    Pluck the kaffir lime leaves, roll them up and slice into thin shreds. Slice one onion thinly and soak in a bowl of cold water to mellow its bite. Separate the white and green parts of the spring onions, chop the green tops, and lightly smash the white stems.

    Time: PT5M

11. Assemble and Serve

    In each serving bowl, place a portion of noodles, top with chicken, lime‑leaf threads, sliced onion, and chopped spring onion. Briefly blanch the smashed white spring‑onion stems in the hot broth, then ladle the steaming broth over everything. Garnish with extra spring onion, Asian sweet basil, optional bean sprouts, hoisin, sriracha, and a squeeze of lime juice.

    Time: PT5M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

450

Protein

30 g

Carbohydrates

55 g

Fat

8 g

Fiber

3 g