Recipe: Faux Chicken Pho
I absolutely love a big bowl of Pho Ga, a Vietnamese chicken noodle soup, or what I call Faux chicken Pho (I, arguably, pronounce “Pho” wrong). It brings together the homeyness of chicken noodle soup with an option for personal customization and is actually quiet light and healthy. Here is a pretty traditional recipe for Pho Ga that takes an estimated 3+ hours, although I give no guarantees on that specific recipe since I haven’t made that one. The secret ingredient to Pho Ga, in my experience, is the fish sauce. Do not skip the fish sauce… okay, you can, but you should really try it! To make our Pho Ga “faux”, we skip adding the actual chicken, but trust me, you won’t miss it if you are using a good homemade chicken stock. This is a super fast version.
Yield: Serves 2
Ingredients
- 1/4 onion, thinly sliced
- 6-10 cilantro sprigs, coarsely chopped
- 4-6 cups low salt homemade chicken stock
- 1-2 “bundles” dried rice noodles (also known as rice vermicelli, rice sticks, mee fun, or con bun – can be found in the Asian food aisle)*
- 1-2 tsps fish sauce (can be found in the Asian food aisle)
- salt
- Garnishes: lime wedges, jalapeno slices, mung bean sprouts, basil leaves (Thai or Holy if you’ve got it), and Sriracha sauce
* The rice noodles normally come in packages of at least 3 “bundles”, but sometimes more. Each “bundle” is a group of noodles folded back over itself and dried. You also want the THIN rice noodles. There are thick ones out there that are used for Pad Thai, but Pho is traditionally made with the thin ones.
Preparation
1. Most folks (and your noodle package) will probably recommend soaking your dried noodles in cool water for at least 2-3 minutes, but honestly I think I’ve skipped this step before when in a hurry. We share a “bundle” of noodles or sometimes I add a bundle for each of us. It just depends on how hearty and/or hungry.
2. Add broth to a large pot and bring to a simmer (I use an enameled cast iron 4-6 quart model).
3. Add sliced onions simmer until onions are softened, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Add cilantro and fish sauce to taste (it’s fishy and salty so start slow). If you want more soup add more broth.
4. Add rice noodles and simmer until cooked and pliable, 4-5 minutes. If noodles are pre-soaked just simmer until warmed through. Salt to taste.
Garnish and Serve.
It can’t get any simpler than that! It’s traditional to put all of the garnishes on the table and let each diner customize their own bowl of soup. I’m a fan of lime, basil, and the bean sprouts (for the texture). Occasionally I’ll wave a jalapeno near the bowl to add a little heat.