Chicken and Rice Noodles or Chicken Pho – Vietnamese chicken and rice noodles are certainly one of my favorite Asian dishes with their fresh herbal toppings. I would also consider it a soup and a salad combined.
Typically, the chicken and rice noodles (chicken pho) or beef pho broth are slowly simmered, usually including bones, to get that richness and distinct flavor. When I am out in search of good Vietnamese noodle soup, every once in a while, I would find some fantastic recipes with very fresh ingredients.
However, on some occasions, I have been hit hard with a headache from MSG (monosodium glutamate) that was snuck in for extra flavor. It is absolutely not necessary for flavoring because this dish is well flavored naturally on its own.
To make the broth for this pho chicken and rice noodles, I typically will use cut chicken so that it doesn’t take a long time to simmer the broth. My version still tastes really good. I will make this dish at home about two times a week using organic chicken. The quality and the flavor are better, and it’s healthier for you. Use white or dark chicken meat. I prefer white meat.
Hope you have fun making this Heartwarming Pho With Organic Chicken and Rice Noodles!
Heartwarming Pho With Organic Chicken and Rice Noodles
Ingredients
- 1 package organic chicken breast
- ½ package organic bean sprouts
- 1 bunch basil
- 1 medium lime cut into 4 pieces
- 2 medium red chili peppers sliced
- 4 leaves romaine lettuce (optional)
- 4 bundles Vietnamese rice noodles
- 6 cups water
- 4 cloves garlic sliced
- 4 slices ginger
- 1 tablespoon anise seed powder
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons toasted black sesame seeds to sprinkle (optional)
Instructions
- Slowly simmer chicken breast in water.
- Add Anise seed powder, cinnamon powder, ground ginger, garlic and some fish sauce.
- Stir the broth occasionally so that the seasoning dissipates well throughout the soup base rather than clump up from the cinnamon and anise powder.
- In a smaller saucepan, bring the water to a boil.
- Then quickly cook the Vietnamese thin rice noodles for about 4 minutes.
- Drain the hot water and place the noodles in cold running water so that it cools off and does not continue cooking.
- In a soup bowl, add the noodles and top it with chicken and broth.
- Then add all the fresh ingredients – the bean sprouts, roasted black sesame seeds, basil leaves, sliced chili peppers, and even some cut romaine lettuce if you like.
- Squeeze some lime juice into the soup to add some citrus, and voila! It is sooooo delicious!
