Pho

Pho

Garnishes

This is a simplified way of making pho, a traditional Vietnamese noodle soup.

To begin, pour chicken stock and water into a large pot. Add salt and sugar.

Bring stock to a simmer.

Add in chicken thighs (whole) . Leave in for 25 minutes. Then take out, set aside and shred.

Add in jalapeno slices to the stock.

Grill onion and ginger (whole) on a frying pan until the edges are slightly charred. Stir frequently, about 5 minutes.

Add in star anise, cinnamon stick, keep mixing until fragrant, about 3 mins, then set pan aside.

Put all grilled ingredients into a cheese cloth, make into a tightened small sack, then drop into simmering stock.

Stir in hoisin, fish sauce, sriracha.

Simmer on low for 1 hour.

Once ready to eat, take out the herb cloth, increase the flame to make sure the broth is very hot, and serve with all garnishes.

Cooking Noodles:

For semi-fresh noodles: pour boiling water onto noodles in a heat safe bowl. Mix around for a few seconds then drain, rinse noodles in cold water, then set aside.

For dried noodles: boil noodles in a separate pot for the specified time based on the package instructions, drain, rinse in cold water, then set aside.

Assemble the Pho bowl:

Place noodles, chicken, beansprouts into bowl.

Pour in hot broth. Top with Thai basil leaves and green onion.

Serve with a lime on the side.

** This is a medium-level spice. If you wish to have it less hot, don’t use jalapeno and decrease the amount of sriracha you add in.