Chicken Pho

This Vietnamese chicken and rice noodle soup is packed with flavor, a meal-in-a-bowl guaranteed to satisfy the heartiest of appetites. This dish is easy to prepare, and a favorite in our house.

Ingredients

2 whole star anise
1 cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
1/2 medium yellow onion
1 1/2 ounces fresh ginger root
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt
3 pounds chicken thighs
2 tsp hot chili pepper sauce(Sriracha)
3 cups cooked rice noodles
1 pound fresh bean sprouts
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
3/4 cup thinly sliced red onions
12 sprigs fresh basil
12 sprigs fresh cilantro
1 lime, cut into 6 wedges

Instructions

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Cut ends off onion, cut in half and peel outer layers off. Place onion halves on a sheet tray. Slice ginger root in half lengthwise and place on sheet tray with onions. Place under broiler until charred around the edges. Cool slightly and rough chop.

3. In a large stock pot, place spices, chopped onions and ginger, chicken broth, fish sauce, salt, chicken thighs and hot pepper sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 hours. Remove the chicken thighs and allow to cool. Strain the broth through a fine sieve, reserving the broth. Discard spices. Pull chicken from bone and shred meat.

4. Steam bean sprouts for about 3 minutes over the chicken broth.

5. Place 1/2 cup cooked rice noodles in a bowl. Top with 1 cup of the chicken broth, 1/2 cup of shredded chicken and 1/3 cup bean sprouts. Garnish each bowl with 1 tablespoon scallions, 2 tablespoons sliced red onions, 2 sprigs of basil, 2 sprigs of cilantro and 1 lime wedge.

Serving Information
Makes 6 servings, each containing approximately:
365 cal, 40 g carb, 10 g fa,t 85 mg. cholesterol, 31 g protein, 691 mg. sodium, 6 g fiber