Vietnamese Pho Recipe

So this was one of my first written recipes - my version of a Vietnamese Pho. I taught it in a cooking lesson to two little girls, aged about 7, and it went down an absolute treat! It is a bit fussy to make in the sense that it takes a bit of time and preparation, but it is easy enough for children to make and is worth it if you are cooking for an occasion or just a weekday feast! You can use any type of protein with this dish. The recipe calls for chicken, because this is a crowd pleaser. However, I personally would also swap chicken for tofu or fish (prawns, squid, white fish), anything! It is so flavoursome, nutritious, filling, and the construction and decoration part is a lot of fun. You can also modify this recipe to make a laksa, simply by adding curry paste and coconut milk into the broth which is equally delicious. I served this alongside some sautéed pak choi and broccoli, in a sauce of oyster sauce, lemon, a dash of fish sauce and a teaspoon of sugar.

Serves 4

Prep time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

1 tbsp oil

3 shallots (sliced)

3 garlic cloves (sliced)

Lemongrass (1 stalk, chopped or 1-2 tsp puree)

1 inch ginger (sliced)

Spice mix (3 whole star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 tsp coriander seeds, ¼ tsp Chinese five-spice, ¼ tsp black peppercorns)

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 1/4 –1 ½ litres chicken stock

500g free range boneless skinless chicken breasts

250-300g rice noodles

1 carrot (shredded, or peeled into ribbons)

4 spring onions (sliced)

2 large handfuls of bean sprouts

1 sliced large mushroom

A large handful of fresh coriander (coarsely chopped)

A large handful of mint leaves

1 lime (cut into wedges)

Fish sauce and chilli sauce (to taste)

1 red chilli (thinly sliced) (optional)

Method:

1. Heat oil in a small fry pan on medium heat and gently cook shallots and garlic until caramelised and golden brown (about 4-5 minutes).

2. In a large-size pot combine caramelised shallots and garlic, lemongrass, ginger, spice mix, sugar, fish sauce, chicken stock and chicken breasts. Cover with a lid and bring to a very gentle simmer. Simmer very gently for about 15 minutes to allow all the flavours to infuse and until the chicken breasts are just cooked.

3. Meanwhile, prep the vegetables and cook the noodles according to packet instructions until just cooked through (do not over-cook). Rinse under cold water to prevent them sticking together. Drain and divide between serving bowls.

4. Remove the cooked chicken breasts from the soup and shred the meat using two forks. Divide shredded meat between bowls of noodles.

5. Strain the soup through a sieve. Return soup to the pot and bring to a boil. Season to taste with more fish sauce if needed.

To serve:

1. Ladle piping hot soup into bowls of noodles and chicken, and top with carrot, spring onion, bean sprouts, herbs, crispy shallots and kaffir lime leaf.

2. Serve with a lime wedge to squeeze over, and more fish sauce and chilli to add to taste.

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