Phở Gà -chicken Pho Noodle Soup Recipe

Prepare and blanch the chicken

Place the whole chicken in a large stockpot and cover with cold water (about 5 liters). Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, boil for 5 minutes to remove impurities. Drain and discard the blanching water. Rinse the pot and the chicken to remove scum.

Char aromatics

While the chicken is blanching, char the halved onion and ginger. Place them cut-side down in a dry skillet or directly over a gas flame until the exposed surfaces are deeply browned and slightly blackened (about 5–8 minutes). You can also roast in a 450°F / 230°C oven for 20 minutes. Set aside.

Toast spices

In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast star anise, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, cloves, and peppercorns until fragrant (2–3 minutes), shaking the pan so they don't burn. Transfer to a piece of foil and gently crush the cardamom pods to open them.

Simmer the broth

Return the blanched chicken to the cleaned stockpot. Add 5 liters of fresh cold water, the charred onion and ginger, carrot and daikon (if using), toasted spices (place spices in a spice bag or tie in cheesecloth for easy removal), 1.5 tbs kosher salt, 2 tsp rock sugar, and 2 tbs fish sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Keep the surface at a low simmer (not a rolling boil) for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, skimming any foam or fat occasionally.

Finish seasoning

Remove the chicken and set aside to cool slightly. Continue to simmer the broth another 15–30 minutes to concentrate flavor if needed. Taste the broth and adjust with the remaining 2 tbs fish sauce and additional salt or sugar to balance sweet/salty (total fish sauce 4 tbs). Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean pot. Discard solids. Keep the strained broth hot; skim excess fat from the surface if desired.

Shred chicken

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones. Reserve about 8 oz shredded from the carcass for soups and 12 oz additional cooked chicken sliced or shredded for serving. You may also refrigerate or freeze leftover carcass meat for other uses.

Prepare the rice noodles

Bring a separate pot of water to a boil. Add the dried rice noodles and cook according to package instructions (usually 3–5 minutes) until just tender but still slightly chewy (al dente). Avoid overcooking. Drain and rinse briefly under cool water to stop cooking, then portion into serving bowls.

Reheat and clarify broth if necessary

Bring the strained broth to a rolling simmer. If the broth has been chilled and fat solidified on top, remove and discard excess fat. Reheat to very hot (near boiling) before serving.

Assemble each bowl

Divide the cooked noodles among 4–6 bowls (depending on serving size). Top with a portion of shredded and/or sliced chicken (about 6–8 oz per 2 bowls). Pour the boiling hot broth over the noodles and chicken to warm them and slightly cook the onion if using raw slices. The broth should be very hot so it slightly wilts herbs and warms the proteins.

Offer the garnishes family-style: bean sprouts, thai basil, cilantro or culantro, sliced scallions, lime wedges, thinly sliced raw onion, sliced chiles, hoisin, and Sriracha. Instruct diners to squeeze lime, add herbs and bean sprouts, and season to taste with hoisin or Sriracha.

Optional finishing: add a few drops more fish sauce to a bowl if you prefer a saltier profile. Serve immediately while the broth is hot.