Chicken Soup (Pho Ga)

Soups
Vietnamese
PREP TIME:
1 hour

SERVES:

6-8

TOTAL COOKING TIME:

2 hours
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INGREDIENTS
  • 1 whole chicken (5 lbs)
  • 2 tbsp candy rocks
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 2 tsp chicken bouillon powder
  • 2 tbsp fresh ginger, skin removed and sliced
  • 5-10 star anise pods
  • 2 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 2 tbsp cardamom pods
  • 2 cinnamon stick
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 bunch scallion (white heads only)
  • 1 jar instant concentrate chicken soup base (Por Kwan 8 oz)
  • 2 sweet onion, cut and divided
  • 2 cubes (1.32 oz) (pho ga) chicken soup seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 8 bay leaves
  • 1 whole daikon, peeled and cut
  • Chicken soup balls (Optional)
  • Dry fried red onion
  • Fresh basil
  • Ngo gai (Culantro)
  • Bean sprouts
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Egg noodles, banh pho noodles or vermicelli beans threads noodles
  • Hoisin sauce
  • Sriracha

DIRECTIONS

  1. 1.
    Cut up whole chicken into pieces with skin and remove excess fat. Set aside.
  2. 2.
    Using a large soup pot, add 2 tbsp oil over medium heat. Saute ginger and onions for about 1 minute.
  3. 3.
    Add 24 cups (6 quarts) cold water to soup pot and slowly bring to boil.
  4. 4.
    Add candy rocks, kosher salt, chicken soup base, chicken soup seasoning, chicken boullion, fish sauce, bay leaves, black pepper.
  5. 5.
    Using a small sauce pan, add spices (star anise, coriander seeds, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods) and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Transfer spices into a stainless steel tea infuser. Add to soup pot.
  6. 6.
    Clean scallion. Cut scallion head into 1 inch in length pieces. Add to pot of Soup.
  7. 7.
    When pot of soup boils, add chicken to pot. Lower heat to Medium level.
  8. 8.
    Cook over medium heat for 2 hours. Add daikon after mid point (after 1 hours).
  9. 9.
    Serve chicken soup with egg noodles, banh pho noodles or vermicelli beans threads noodles, chicken soup balls (optional), dry fried red onion, bean sprouts, fresh basil, ngo gai (culantro), fresh cilantro, sliced sweet onion hoisin sauce, sriracha.
NOTE: For a healthier chicken soup
INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

  1. 1.
    Remove chicken from soup. When chicken is cooled off, remove all chicken bones.
  2. 2.
    When chicken broth is cooled off, store broth in refrigerator over night to get the chicken fat to congeal. After 24 hours, remove excess chicken fat from broth.
  3. 3.
    Reheat soup over medium heat until boil. Ready to serve as in Step 10.