To me there is nothing quite like a big warming bowl of soup on a chilly autumn day. From classics such as chicken noodle to Korean jjigae and simple blended soups, I love them all. One soup that sits on my top 5 favorites is Vietnamese Pho. This soup has a clear broth that is made from aromatic spices and either beef or chicken bones. There are many variations but most commonly the broth is served with rice noodles, fresh fragrant herbs, chili peppers, been sprouts, limes wedges and sliced or shredded meat. In the case of beef pho, it is thin raw slices of beef that are served on top of the soup. Chicken pho is topped with cooked and sliced or shredded pieces of chicken.
The first time I tasted pho was on a cool spring day in Paris. We had been out exploring the famous Latin Quarter and were in need of food to warmup our bodies. After weaving through quiet streets away from the tourists we stumbled upon a quaint Vietnamese restaurant. Had it no been for a small window, where we could see a young girl enjoying a big bowl of soup, we might not have noticed the door lead to a restaurant. I had never eaten Vietnamese food but my husband had and he was eager to have me try a new cuisine. Of course I didn’t hesitate and was rather excited to try it out.
It is safe to say that with that first sip of pho I fell in love. I like it so much that for a period that’s all I wanted to eat when we ate out. My poor husband got so burned out on pho that I had to give up eating it for a few months. Luckily now I know how to make my own pho so whenever the craving strikes I can whip up a huge pot. Here’s my recipe and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
- 1 chicken carcass
- 2 chicken wings
- 2 chicken breast, skinless
- water
- large pot
- 1 medium yellow onion, cut in half and do not peel
- 1 large piece of fresh ginger, do not peel
- 1 tsp. coriander seed
- 2 green cardamom pods, bruised
- 1 whole star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5 whole cloves
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp. fish sauce
- rice noodles cooked according to package instructions
- lime wedges
- fresh cilantro leaves
- fresh mint leaves
- scallions sliced
- sliced chile
- bean sprouts, I don't usually add them
- Place chicken pieces and water in a pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Use a colander to drain the chicken and discard the broth. Set the chicken pieces aside. Rinse/wash the pot out or have a new clean pot ready to use. Next rinse off the chicken pieces then place back inside the pot.
- The ginger and onion need to be charred. Place them both over an open flame/gas stove flame, or on top of a very hot griddle, or they can also be charred under the broiler setting in the oven. Turn the onion and ginger to char evenly throughout. (I used an open flame and it took me about 8 minutes.) Set aside to cool down.
- In a clean pan dry roast the spices to bring out the scents and flavors. Roast for 2 minutes stirring often to prevent burning. Remove from pan and set aside to cool.
- Peel the onions, and using a knife gently scrape away the charred ginger skin. Cut the ginger into 4 chunks and use the flat edge of the knife to bruise the ginger.
- Place the ginger, onions, cooled spices into the pot with the chicken pieces. (Alternatively the spices may be placed inside a spice bag before putting in pot.) Add 2 liters or about 8 cups of water to the pot. Then add the 1 tsp granulated sugar and 2 tbsp. fish sauce. Cover and bring to a boil, once boiling reduce heat down to medium low and leave a small crack to allow steam to escape. Simmer the soup for at least an hour, longer if time allowed. I simmer my pho for about 2-3 hours. The longer the better.
- Once the soup has finished simmering, strain and discard the spices and carcass -- NOT THE BROTH. Thinly slice or shred the chicken breast. Add some cooked rice noodles to the soup bowls then ladle the chicken broth over the noodles. You can either serve the additional garnishes on the side so everyone can add their own or top the soup with them.
Don’t be intimidated by the long ingredient list and steps involved, it’s much easier than it looks in the recipe. Once you’ve done it you’ll see how fast and easy it is. The most effort on your part will be having to wait until the broth has finished simmering. But trust me it’s worth the wait.
Have a great day and stay warm with a big bowl of pho!
This is such a flavourful soup! Loved the herbs that went into it. The first photograph is so beautiful! Thanks for sharing the recipe Nancy
I would love to have this aromatic and comforting soup any day of the year!
This is my idea of comfort food for these chilly Fall days, too! Looks absolutely delicious and heartwarming!
Light yet so flavourful! You even made your own broth…..wow…must be very fresh and tasty.
Delightfully spicy and herby! A wonderfully fragrant soup.
Cheers,
Rosa
One of my all-time favorites! Love that story about first tasting Pho in Paris – it sounds so romantic :)
What a beautiful bowl of deliciousness.
My fav! I have this once a week at my local Vietnamese restaurant!
I love pho but I’ve never made my own at home. Your recipe sounds so good, can’t wait to try it!
I have to tell you that I am usually so taken aback by the stunning photos..I look at them first and then go read..These photos are sublime.
I love these types of soup..Thank you.
What a good looking and healthy soup. I know the ingredients can get intimidating but I know it’s something we all have in our pantry and it’s always nice to make it home. Thanks for the reminder, ofcourse pinning it.
This is one of my very favorite soups, and it’s the one I go to whenever I have a sniffle. (The spicier, the better!) Yours makes me want a bowl right now! :)
G’day! Gorgeous, healthy dish and photo Nancy, true!
I’d like to order two bowls to go! Thank you!
Cheers! Joanne
I was in Vietnam in April and this post brings back great memories of such good food. Pho is so simple, but so very delicious! Your version looks absolutely perfect! Wonderful post, Nancy!
I’m currently sick so I’m whimpering at those photos wishing that it was in front of me! :D
I actually like eating this dish at home… I cook all the ingredients. I am not a big fan of putting the raw beef into the soup (like at the restaurants)… freaks me out even though I know it gets cooked. I’m a big fan of all the garnishes. :)
So healthy and fresh. Very lovely dish-)
Love this kind of soup, so much flavor. The spice pic is beautiful.
Pho is really great stuff. I make it sometimes, but I’m no expert. Yours looks terrific! And it’s great inspiration – I need to make it again, and soon. Thanks so much.
Amazing looking soup!
There are very few dishes that I can remember the first time I tasted it, but like you, I do remember the first time I had pho. It was in California and I was hooked on the first bite. Once the weather gets cold, I could eat it every day. I’ve never made it so I’m thrilled that you shared this wonderful recipe! It’s a keeper!
This looks like a lovely light dish but heart-warming at the same time. Love the flavours.
That pho honestly looks so good, drooling here now
I am a lover of Vietnamese food. Always have been I was soooo excited when I came across this recipe. Currently have the broth simmering on the stove. Garnishes are ready. Can’t wait for dinner!
“Pho-getabboutit”
I love how clean and fresh this dish looks. It’d be a disaster in a bowl if I tried to present it the way you did. Awesome job. Kinda jealous. Keep on keeping on. I had to share this on the, “Whacchoo Bloggin’ Bout” section of my page. I hope everyone knows whachoo bloggin’ bout.
http://www.meatandpaprika.com/2013/10/whachooo-bloggin-bout-week-8/
Justin and Garnet
G’day! I LOVE Pho, true!
LOVE your recipe and thank you for hosting such a great monthly Round Up…AWESOME recipe and photos too!
Cheers! Joanne
Have you ever been to the Sapa Market in Praha? There is a huge Vietnamese community there and a pho restaurant that offers one of the best bowls of beef pho I’ve ever had in my life (im Vietnamese and often go back to visit). The pho in this restaurant is far better than the ones I’ve had in Ho Chi Minh city. The restaurant is called Pho Quynh Anh it’s located all the way in the end of the market.
Hi Lola,
I never made it to Sapa, but I will make sure to do so next time I’m in Prague. Thanks for sharing the tip!
We made this recipe last night. Followed the directions closely but not exact and it was delicious. We cooked it for about 2 hours and made somen noodles to put the broth over. We added a little salt and some extra water.
Hi Jamie! That’s great that you made my pho and added your personal touch — cooking is not a precise science and it’s all about making dishes our own. Thank you!
So good! Even my picky 9-year-old son said it tasted like real pho!!! I actually used homemade chicken broth I already had and started with the last step, adding the spices and charred onion and ginger.
Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful recipe!!!
Hi Shanti! I’m glad to hear my recipe received the approval of a 9 year old.:) That’s great that you used your homemade chicken broth, it saved you some time.
Making this right now and it’s smelling heavenly. I’ve experimented with lots of recipes for this soup, so excited to try yours! Gorgeous photos as usual. :)
Thank you Kim and enjoy!:)
I made this yesterday and It tasted so delicious. I am going to make this again tomorrow for our new years day dinner…Thanks for sharing the recipe! :)
Thank you Louise, glad to hear you enjoyed it as much as we do. Happy New Year!