Chicken Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)

An overhead view of a colorful bowl filled with chicken pho that is garnished with sliced jalapeños, cilantro, and fried shallots.

Chicken Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Keyword: how to make authentic chicken pho, Pho, Vietnamese cuisine

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 8

Total Time: 8 20

Servings: people

Calories: 159kcal

Author: Kris Longwell

Pho truly is great for the soul. It is just so comforting and will make you feel great. The stock/broth and the chicken can be prepared 1 to 2 days in advance. This is comfort soup at its very best.

Print Recipe

Equipment

1 Roasting pan or baking dish
1 large stock pot

Ingredients

For the Chicken Stock

1 large yellow onion unpeeled
1 3" piece ginger fresh, unpeeled
3 lbs chicken bones such as legs, wings, or whole carcass
6 quarts water plus more, if needed
1 tbsp Kosher salt
2 tbsp light brown sugar

For the Fried Shallots

vegetable oil for frying, see NOTES
2 shallots large, thinly sliced, about 1 cup

For the Pho

1 4 to 5 lb whole chicken giblets removed
6 whole scallions
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger smashed
1 tbsp Kosher salt plus more, to taste
3 quarts chicken stock
1 16 oz. package dried rice vermicelli cooked according to package directions
1 bunch scallions trimmed and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1½ cups cilantro chopped
Crispy fried shallots for garnish
Thai, or Chinese basil for garnish, see NOTES
Mung bean sprouts for garnish
2 Limes cut into wedges, for garnish
2 Jalapenos stemmed and thinly sliced into rings, for garnish

Instructions

Make the Stock

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place onion, ginger, and chicken bones in a roasting pan and roast for 1 hour, moving the vegetables and bones around in the pan after about 30 minutes. . Remove from oven and let the onion and ginger cool.
1 large yellow onion, 1 3" piece ginger, 3 lbs chicken bones
Peel the onion and cut it in half. Slice the unpeeled ginger into thin slices (no need to peel).
Place the onion, ginger, bones, water, salt, and brown sugar in a large stock pot.
6 quarts water, 1 tbsp Kosher salt, 2 tbsp light brown sugar
Bring the water to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer for 3 hours, adding another quart (4 cups) of water if needed (the water line should remain about 1 inch above the bones).
Use a large slotted spoon to remove most of the bones and chunks of onion from the stock. Then, strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl or pot. Cover and let chill for at least one hour, or, overnight (preferred). Remove the lid and use a spoon to skim most of the congealed fat from the surface of the stock.

Make the Fried Shallot

In a medium saucepan, add enough oil to come up less than 1/3" up the pan (about 1/4" is enough). Heat the oil over medium-high until it registers 340°F on a deep-fry thermometer.
vegetable oil
Carefully add the shallots to the hot oil and fry them, stirring, until light golden brown, about 4 to 6 minutes (watch closely, don't let them burn!)
2 shallots
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shallots to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Set aside.

Make the Pho

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
Add the chicken, scallions, ginger, and salt and boil for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let stand for 25 minutes.
1 4 to 5 lb whole chicken, 6 whole scallions, 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, 1 tbsp Kosher salt
Just before the chicken is ready, prepare an ice-water bath in a large bowl.
When the chicken is done, carefully use tongs and a large spoon to remove it from the pot and immediately submerge it in the ice-water bath, which will stop the cooking and give the meat a firmer texture. Discard the cooking liquid, or store (chill or freeze) it for another use.
Let the chicken chill for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cool enough to handle easily, remove from the water, and pat dry.
Pull the chicken meat from the bones, discarding the bones and skin. Shred the meat with your fingers; you should have about 4 cups (this step can be done a day ahead).
In a large saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer over medium-high heat. Taste and add more salt (or fish sauce) until you reach the correct balance of seasoning.
3 quarts chicken stock
Prepare the rice noodles according to package directions and distribute them evenly among soup bowls.
1 16 oz. package dried rice vermicelli
Prep the garnishes and arrange the basil, bean sprouts, lime wedges, jalapeños, and fried shallots on a platter and place them on the table.
1 bunch scallions, 1½ cups cilantro, Crispy fried shallots, Thai, or Chinese basil, Mung bean sprouts, 2 Limes, 2 Jalapenos
Top each serving with about ¾ cup of the shredded chicken, then divide the scallions and cilantro evenly among the bowls.
Ladle the hot stock over the top, dividing it evenly, and sprinkle with the fried shallots.
Serve at once, accompanied with the platter of garnishes.

Notes

See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance. If you liked the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel.

You have options for making the stock. Our favorite is what's in the recipe card. However, you can also simmer uncooked chicken parts (thigh, legs, breasts, etc) with vegetables. And then even use the meat from the simmered chicken for the pho. Follow our recipe for Homemade Chicken Broth, but substitute roasted ginger and onion for the mirepoix in the recipe. If you do this (and use the chicken), there's no need to poach the whole chicken (as we do in the recipe).

Be careful to not add too much oil for frying the shallots. The shallots will cause the oil to bubble a lot and will overflow if the oil is more than one-third of the way up the side of the pan.

If your rice noodles start to stick together, simply place them in a pan with warm water. They'll un-attach, no problem.

Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. Pho freezes beautifully for up to 2 to 3 months.

Nutrition