We have been cooped up inside as Seattle was hit with a megastorm bringing in snow, ice storms, and wind. I am grateful for the 3 unplanned snow days to drink up every moment with the kids and catch up on simple joys like cooking, drinking my coffee before it gets cold, and wearing pajamas and slippers all day.
I love pho, essentially Vietnamese chicken noodle soup, and make it from time to time. Pho is perfect for any weather, hot or cold, and on this particularly chilly day, we found it absolutely essential. I have played around with recipes and have finally found one that doesn't break the bank or your time. Dale agreed that it was the best batch of pho he has ever tasted.
Pho is really simply, fragrant chicken broth, assembled with rice noodles, veggies, and the proper dose of cilantro, thai basil, and green onion. The hardest part, is usually finding the ingredients. If you live in a big city like Seattle, it should take no effort. However, the first time I made pho in Montana, I was buying ingredients from the only Vietnamese restaurant in town. It is worth it though. I have tried taking shortcuts and infusing chicken broth with spices but it really doesn't do justice. Canned chicken stock is usually more expensive, has more sodium, and doesn't retain the same flavors. Making your own broth is really key to this soup and it requires little effort. I had drumsticks in the fridge so I just used that for the stock. If you prefer a veggie version, just add extra veggies like you would for vegetable stock.
Everyone must learn to make their own pho. It is seriously a bowl of soul for any person lucky to savor its magic.
Ingredients
5 star anise pods
1-2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp coriander (whole)
1 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sugar
Salt to taste
3-4 lb Chicken (you can use whole fryer chickens, drumsticks, wings, whatever you have on hand!)
1 bunch of green onion
1 2-inch segment of ginger
2 yellow onions
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch thai basil (don't worry if you cant find this...)
Veggies of your choice, sliced thin (I used mushrooms, carrots, cabbage, jalepeno, and bean sprouts)
Rice Noodles
Siracha
Garlic Chili sauce
Hoison
1.) Set your broiler to high. Place ginger, onions, and half the green onions on a cookie sheet. Broil on high until onions and ginger are blackened. Remove green onions if they blacken faster and continue to broil onions and ginger until they are blistering.
2.) While the onions/ginger are broiling, gather your spices. Toast your spices on a dry pan over medium heat. Toast for about 30 seconds or until you start to smell deliciousness.
3.) Grab a large stockpot. Add the spices, half a bunch of cilantro (I just used the stems), the onion/ginger mixture (leave the blackened skins on!), and your chicken. Add enough water to cover your ingredients and then add about 3 more cups of water. This reduces down a lot, so you want to make sure you have lots of stock!
4.) Bring stock to a boil. Boil for about 15 minutes and then cover and simmer for at least an hour.
5.) When your kitchen smells amazing and your stomach is growling remove the lid and continue to simmer for about 20 minutes.
6.) While the stock continues to simmer, you need to boil hot water to soak the rice noodles. Place the rice noodles in a dish and pour boiling water over them. Let them soak until your soup is ready.
7.) Start assembling your bowls. Add some sliced veggies, chopped cilantro and green onions, a dash of siracha, and hoisin, whatever you fancy.
8.) Strain your stock. Pull apart the chicken meat and add to your bowl. Add enough HOT broth to cover your assembled bowl. Pour yourself a beer and sit back to enjoy!
