Pho Ga
Pho (pronounced “Fuh”) is a hearty, traditional Vietnamese noodle soup originally made with beef. Pho Ga is the version made with chicken. You can also use turkey, which is a great way to use up some leftovers after Thanksgiving. No matter how you make it, it’s absolutely delicious!
Yummy when served with heated Naan bread (see Tip# 2) & my Peach Apricot Ginger Spread (see recipe in Bakery, Breads & Spreads category).
Serves: 2 to 4
Ingredients
1/4 cup whole coriander seeds
6 whole cloves
6 whole star anise or substitute 1 Tblsp whole fennel seed
1 1/2 cinnamon sticks
1 1/2 quarts (6 cups) organic chicken broth/stock
1 1/2 Tblsp light brown sugar
1 Tblsp fish sauce
1 bunch scallions, chop dark green top parts into 1″ pieces (reserve bottom white parts for garnishing)
1 – 3″ piece of ginger, peeled, sliced & smashed with the side of a knife
1 cup packed Earthbound Farms Kale Italia (blend of baby kale, arugula & radicchio)
1 bok choy leaf, torn up (save white part for salads or another recipe)
1 1/2 to 2 cups cooked chicken breast meat, hand torn into large edible sized pieces (see Tip# 1)
2 bunches bean thread noodles or 5 to 6 oz of dried flat rice noodles
1/4 to 1/2 tsp Sriracha sauce per bowl (optional)
For garnishing:
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
Remaining bottom parts from scallions, sliced thin
1/2 small organic lime cut into 2 wedges
Directions
1. Heat an ungreased cast iron skillet or other metal skillet (not non-stick) on medium heat about 3 minutes. Add coriander, cloves, star anise & cinnamon. Toast the spices, stirring frequently, about 3 to 4 minutes or until fragrant (be careful not to burn them). Transfer to a 3 quart pot.
2. Add broth, brown sugar, fish sauce, green scallion tops & ginger to pot & bring to a boil on high heat.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low & simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Strain the broth into another pot, using a fine mesh strainer & discard the solids.
5. Stir in kale mix, bok choy leaf, chicken & bean thread noodles. Cover & let sit 3 to 5 minutes allowing noodles to soften (if using rice noodles the time may vary, test to see if they’re soft enough).
6. Ladle all the broth into individual bowls. Evenly distribute the remaining solids into the bowls. Stir in Sriracha sauce (if using).
7. Garnish each bowl with scallions & cilantro, then squeeze on some lime juice & serve.
Tips & Suggestions
1. Half of a store bought cooked rotisserie chicken will yield the 1 1/2 to 2 cups of chicken breast meat that you’ll need for the recipe. You could also cook up a boneless, skinless chicken breast in a fry pan with a little oil & then tear it up, once cooled enough to handle.
2. If you’re not familiar with Naan bread, you’re in for a treat. Naan is a delicious, soft, hand-stretched flatbread made in a traditional fashion in a high heat tandoor oven. Most larger supermarkets carry it these days & it’s usually found, prepackaged, in the bakery area. You can even freeze the package, as is, for months & the bread still tastes fresh when you defrost it!
