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a bowl of clear spiced chicken broth with flat rice noodles, shredded chicken, softened bean sprouts and a few sliced scallions mixed into the soup
Melissa Hart

Chicken Pho

Charred onion and ginger give this broth depth before the spices have much time to steep. Toast the whole spices briefly and remove them with the aromatics before serving, so the bowl is clear and easy to eat. Rice noodles cook separately because they soften quickly and can cloud the pot if they sit in it. This is a practical chicken pho made with a stock head start, with the chicken poached gently in the spiced broth.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large yellow onion halved
  • 1 piece fresh ginger 3 inches long, halved lengthwise
  • 2 whole star anise
  • 1 cinnamon stick 3 inches long
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 1/2 lbs bone-in chicken thighs skin removed
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tsp granulated sugar
  • 8 oz flat rice noodles
  • 1 cup bean sprouts
  • 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 2 scallions thinly sliced

Method
 

  1. Heat a dry heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Char the cut sides of onion and ginger for 6 to 8 minutes until dark patches form; add star anise, cinnamon, cloves and coriander for the final 1 minute, stirring the spices.
  2. Transfer the aromatics and spices to a large pot with broth, water and chicken thighs. Simmer gently for 30 to 35 minutes until the chicken reaches 165°F.
  3. Remove the chicken and strain the broth through a fine sieve, discarding the aromatics. Return the broth to the pot and stir in fish sauce and sugar.
  4. Cook rice noodles in a separate pot according to the package, then drain and rinse briefly with warm water. Pull the chicken from the bones and shred, discarding the bones.
  5. Add bean sprouts to the simmering broth for 1 minute. Stir in lime juice, then divide noodles and chicken among six bowls.
  6. Ladle the hot broth and sprouts over the noodles and divide the sliced scallions evenly among the bowls.