Chicken Phở With Crispy Shallots
Chicken Phở
A fragrant Vietnamese-style chicken noodle soup with roasted onion and ginger broth, tender chicken, rice noodles, fresh herbs, lime, bean sprouts, and crisp shallots.
Chicken phở is built around clear, aromatic broth. Roasting the onion and ginger first gives the soup a round sweetness and a little smoke, while star anise, cinnamon, coriander, and cloves add the familiar warm spice without overwhelming the chicken.
The whole chicken is simmered only until the meat is tender, then the bones return to the pot so the broth can keep gaining body. This keeps the chicken juicy for serving and gives the finished soup enough depth to stand up to lime, herbs, sprouts, and sauces.
Cook the rice noodles separately and add them to the bowls just before serving. This keeps the broth clean and lets leftovers stay in good shape, since noodles left in the soup will continue to swell and soften.
Set the garnishes out at the table so each bowl can be adjusted as it is eaten. A few herbs, a squeeze of lime, a small spoonful of hoisin or chili sauce, and a pinch of crispy shallots make each spoonful bright, crunchy, and savory.
Nutrition (per serving)
Directions
-
1
Heat the oven to 425°F. Rub the onions and ginger with the neutral oil, place them cut side down on a sheet pan, and roast for 30 minutes until browned at the edges and fragrant.
-
2
Put the water, roasted onions, roasted ginger, chicken wings or backs, whole chicken, salt, sugar, star anise, cinnamon, coriander seeds, and cloves in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer.
-
3
Simmer for about 30 minutes, until the whole chicken is cooked through and the breast meat registers 165°F. Transfer the whole chicken pieces to a platter and let them cool until easy to handle.
-
4
Pull the meat from the chicken in large shreds and refrigerate it. Return the bones and skin to the stockpot and simmer the broth for 2 hours more, skimming foam or excess fat as needed.
-
5
Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot. Boil over high heat for 10 to 15 minutes if needed to reduce it to about 12 cups, then stir in the fish sauce and adjust with more salt or fish sauce to taste.
-
6
While the broth finishes, soak the rice noodles in warm water for 20 minutes, then cook them in boiling water until just tender, about 2 to 4 minutes depending on thickness. Drain well and divide among 6 large bowls.
-
7
For the crispy shallots, heat the canola oil in a small saucepan to 275°F. Add the sliced shallots and cook, stirring often, until pale golden, 5 to 8 minutes. Lift them out to paper towels.
-
8
Raise the oil to 375°F. Return the shallots to the oil for about 5 seconds, just until crisp and deeper golden, then drain again and season lightly with salt.
-
9
Add the shredded chicken to the hot broth and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, just until warmed through. Ladle the broth and chicken over the noodles.
-
10
Top each bowl with scallions and serve with bean sprouts, basil, cilantro, lime wedges, jalapeños, hoisin sauce, chili-garlic sauce, and crispy shallots on the side.
Ingredients
- Yellow Onions, unpeeled and quartered:2 large
- Fresh Ginger, unpeeled and sliced:3 pieces
- Neutral Oil:1 tablespoon
- Cold Water:4 quarts
- Chicken Wings Or Backs:3 pounds
- Whole Chicken, cut into quarters:3 1/2 pounds
- Kosher Salt:1 tablespoon
- Sugar:2 teaspoons
- Star Anise:3 pods
- Cinnamon Stick:1 small
- Coriander Seeds:1 teaspoon
- Whole Cloves:3 pieces
- Fish Sauce:1/4 cup
- Dried Wide Rice Noodles:1 pound
- Shallots, thinly sliced:4 large
- Canola Oil:1 1/2 cups
- Scallions, thinly sliced:2 pieces
- Mung Bean Sprouts:12 ounces
- Thai Basil Leaves:1 cup
- Cilantro Leaves:1/2 cup
- Limes, cut into wedges:2 pieces
- Jalapeños, thinly sliced:2 pieces
- Hoisin Sauce:as needed
- Chili-Garlic Sauce:as needed
Tips & Notes
- For clearer broth, keep the simmer gentle and cook the noodles in a separate pot instead of in the soup.
- The broth can be made up to 2 days ahead; chill it, lift off the solidified fat, and reheat before adding noodles and garnishes.
- Add herbs and sprouts a little at a time while eating so they stay bright, aromatic, and crisp.
- If you prefer a less spicy bowl, skip the jalapeños and use only a small amount of chili-garlic sauce.
