Vietnamese Chicken Pho

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken or 1kg chicken pieces
• 2 onions, halved
• 1 thumb ginger, sliced
• 3 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt
• 200g flat rice noodles
• To serve: beansprouts, fresh coriander, mint, basil, sliced chilli, lime wedges

Instructions

1. Char the onion and ginger under the grill or in a dry pan until darkened — this gives the broth its depth.
2. Add to a pot with the chicken, whole spices and 2 litres water.
3. Bring to a boil, skim the foam, then simmer gently for 1 hour.
4. Strain the broth and season with fish sauce, sugar and salt.
5. Cook the rice noodles, divide into bowls, top with shredded chicken, and ladle over the hot broth.
6. Serve with a plate of herbs and lime for everyone to add their own.

Serving suggestions

• Add herbs and lime at the table — that's half the joy of pho.

Storage & reheating

The broth keeps 3 days and freezes brilliantly. Cook noodles fresh.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is not yet available for this recipe. Values vary with portion size and exact ingredients — we will add verified figures here soon.

Frequently asked questions