Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup (Phở Gà)

Step 1

Prep the aromatics. Roast whole unpeeled ginger and shallots in the oven at 400°F for 15 minutes. Set aside the shallots. Slice the ginger into thick coins then set aside. Dry toast the coriander seeds in a small frying pan for one minute or until fragrant. Add toasted coriander seeds into a spice bag or wrap in cheesecloth then set aside. If you have neither, no worries. You can add toasted coriander directly to the stockpot that you can strain out.

Step 2

Bring a large stockpot with 4 liters of water to a boil (make sure it will fit the chicken without overflowing). Add chicken, ginger, shallots, and coriander. Cook for 30 minutes on a low simmer.

Step 3

Check for doneness. Pierce chicken with a chopstick in between the joint of the breast and leg. If water runs clear, chicken is done. Transfer chicken to an ice bath. The iced bath will gelatinize and firm up the skin. When cool enough to handle, slice chicken into thin strips. Return all bones back to the stockpot. Continue to cook for another 30 minutes on a low simmer.

Step 4

Remove all solids from the stock pot and discard. Season stock with salt, fish sauce, rock sugar, chicken bouillon powder, and MSG, a little at a time to your liking. Like all noodle soups, you want the flavors to be strong and bold because once noodles are added, the flavor will mellow out quite a bit.

Step 5

To serve, add a handful of cooked rice noodles to a bowl. Add chicken. Ladle in broth and top with a bit of white/yellow onions, green onions, cilantro, fried shallots, and a sprinkle of black pepper. Serve with lime wedges and chili peppers/jalapenos on the side.