Vietnamese Pho Chicken Soup
To make this you will need 1 large pot & 1 muslin bag (for spices).
​1 whole chicken
1 1/2 Tbs Salt
2 brown onions
generous handful of Vietnamese mint (or coriander if you don't have this) & plain mint - add basil too if you have it.
In a muslin bag put:
1 Tbs Coriander Seed
3 Star Anise
4 Cardamom Pods
4 Whole Cloves
1 thumb of ginger (sliced)
1 cinnamon stick
​optional extras:
2 Tbs fish sauce
2 Tbs sugar
Rice noodles
1 chilli - chopped
2 limes (to squeeze on when its in your bowl)
finely shredded carrot
Mung Bean Sprouts
​Roast a chicken - set half aside for a different meal and keep half the chicken for the Pho
​In a large pot simmer the chicken, onion & salt for 1/2 - 1 hour.​In the last 10 minutes of cooking place a the muslin bag into the pot - remember to put the loop of the bag around the pot handle.
​Take the chicken out of the pot, remove the chicken meat and return to the soup.
​This recipe is really delicious, however, you can add the extras that I've noted in the ingredients above for a more complex and fresh taste.
​I like to add my vegetables to my Pho at the last minute so they are still crunchy and filled with life.
The noodles I would pre-cook in some of the broth for 2-3 minutes and then add to my bowl as needed.