My Chicken Pho Recipe

This is pretty great. My improvements, based off what I've seen in Vietnamese restaurants, which I would highly recommend: 1. Make your own stock. Use raw chicken, cut it from the bone, and boil the meat and bone for a while. I used about one bone for each cup of broth I needed to make. Since I didn't have enough bones, I combined my homemade stock with store-bought stock. 2. Add a star anise while the bones simmer. It makes the soup more savory. 3. Offer cilantro, chili paste, and lime as garnish options. I would also recommend using a little more bean sprouts and bok choy than this calls for. Some might prefer a little less chicken. If you like your bean sprouts crispy at all, only use them as garnish; don't simmer them at all.

This makes a wonderful, complex flavor soup. I had most of the ingredients on hand for this (I live in California and my lemon grass grows in the front yard) and fixed it for dinner tonight. Only thing I didn't have was the bean sprouts, and although they would have been a nice addition, the soup didn't need them. This soup, although intensely flavorful, is not particularly spicy - if you are looking for hot, slice in some of those green Thai chilis or add some red pepper flakes. I think this would be good over Udon noodles also. Thanks for the recipe! UPDATE: I used homemade chicken stock (simmer the bones from rotisserie chicken in water or chicken broth to cover with vegetable trimmings - carrots, onions, celery - garlic, wine or vinegar, covered overnight on low, strain). Easy and delicious (salt as desired). Lemon grass should be left in 2" chunks and bruised, as it is just for flavor and not to be eaten.

It's a very tasty soup. If you'd like a more "authentic" Vietnamese Pho flavour add a 1/2" piece of cinnamon stick and 1 star anise (hard - starfish shaped)-found in Asian stores) and take them out after soup is done.

A great first recipe to start making Pho. Picked up a Pho season packet from the local Asian market, and had sliced jalapenos and limes ready to add as garnish. Turned out just like I like it.

This was very good and easier than expected. I didn't have any lemongrass, so just added lime instead. I also used more broth - about 8 cups, and next time I will add 1 T of fish sauce, instead of 2. I've heard adding hoisin sauce to pho is great, so I'll do that next time as well.

I doubled the recipe. Instead of using chicken broth, I substituted Chicken Pho Soup Base. I also added 2 stocks of celery, a green bell pepper, 2 cups of sliced portobello mushrooms during the final 5 minutes. Next time, I'll half the amount of chicken as it was too much. I served with cilantro, the bean sprouts, jalapeno, lime, basil and hot chili sauce on the table to add. I'd been craving pho all day and this is a keeper!! Yum!!

My mom makes chicken pho and I missed having it since moving half way across the country. Husband doesn't like fish sauce, so we used soy sauce instead. Didn't add bok choy, as it added too much to the soup. Instead just added a few leaves of fresh basil for garnish. Leave jalapeno slices, lime slices, Hoisin sauce and hot sauce (Sirachi) on table if individuals want to use them to change taste according to their preferences (which is typical for Pho dishes).

I've been trying to duplicate an Asian soup recipe they serve in the Employee Dining Room at work, and this did the trick. I added celery and carrots to the soup, floated a star anise in it briefly (too long makes the anise flavor too strong), and added some sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms. I served the green onions and the bean sprouts as a garnish instead of simmering them in the soup to retain their crispness. This was very good and my husband raved about it. Thanks so much for the recipe, Miss Ashley.

Great basic recipe and very easy.. I needed to change it a bit to make it work for my diet.. used vegtable stock instead of chicken stock.. used halved large prawns instead of cooked chicken... added just a bit of fresh ginger and topped with fresh cilantro when serving.. To keep the recipe Gluten Free, I used the noodles I had on hand, which were sweet potato noodles from Korea.. Rice noodles would have worked nicely if I'd had some.. I will make this again and again..

It was okay. I had to do a bit of doctoring to make it really taste authentic for me (I've been to Vietnam, eaten a LOT of Vietnamese pho over the years). I used a little less of the ginger and added a bit of sinigang, which is tart seasoning often used in Asian soups.

An herbal lemon tea bag, steeped, works great if you don't have lemon grass. I used Stash brand "Meyer Lemon", which contains lemon grass and no black tea. A pinch of anise seed, a pinch of cinnamon, and diced jalapeno made it amazing. Also used brown rice noodles. Delicious!

Though it is a good soup I would not call it pho. First pho is made with rice vermicelli and not egg noodles, there should not be bok choi or lemongrass in it. Also, pho NEEDS basil. It should always be served with hoisin sauce, jalapeño, bean sprouts, hot seracha sauce, basil and lemon wedges as add ins left on the table.

Easy to make and great flavors. I added some carrots and celery to the broth as well...

Made this with my own broth by boiling a whole chicken (removed skin and threw in a few carrots and onions while it boiled) and it was AMAZING! One whole chicken gave me around 18 cups of broth so I just tripled the recipe. I did not put in minced garlic as I can't stand boiled garlic like that. Fresh ginger though is a MUST in this recipe (powdered would not be the same)! Also, as other reviewers said, I put one star anise into the broth the entire time the chicken cooked. This to me is what gave it is awesome and authentic pho flavor. It's an absolute must. I also feel the lemongrass is a must. Couldn't find it fresh, so bought a tube of lemongrass at Walmart in the produce section. Was very hesitant to use it, but upon opening and tasting it, it was delicious! Another absolute must in this recipe as it's a critical flavor in the pho soup. Used rice vermicelli noodles instead of the egg noodles. My kids (ages 9-13) and husband INHALED this soup. Trust me, make this and you will never need another chicken pho recipe again. It is identical, if not better, to what I've gotten at multiple pho restaurants.

I felt like this was missing some sort of spice from the Chicken Pho I love at our neighborhood restaurant, but the family loved it and want it to be added to the regular list. Maybe cloves?

4 1/2 stars! I added some thinly sliced mushrooms, dropped in some egg white, used napa cabbage instead of bok choy, and I didn't have any beansprouts or lemongrass. Ooooh and I added a few squirts of sauce and a good amount of red-pepper flakes. Yum.

This was very easy to make! I pretty much followed the directions as is. We thought it was very good but might have been missing something. I might try to add cin stick & star anise as another reviewer mentioned next time. Thanks!

Didn't manage to have the fish sauce or the right kind of noodles ... but it still came out delicious. It's relatively quick and easy, and quite tasty. I've had this dish a few times now and will continue to make it. :-)

This was so delicious! I only made a few modifications-used a bit more fresh, grated ginger and added mushrooms. Adding some hoisen sauce in your individual bowl enhances the flavor as well.

Thank you for this recipe. I've searched everywhere for a nice tasting pho without all those hard to find ingredients. This one even tastes great using beef broth and beef. I also tried using Tofu Shirataki in place of the noodles to make it a low calorie meal.

I would give this 4.5 stars if it would let me. I added hoisin and carrots, substituted broccoli for bok choy, and it was yummy.

Great simple-to-prepare recipe! I didn't have lemongrass, but I followed the recommendations of other reviewers and added star anise and a cinnamon stick while letting the broth mixture simmer for about 30 minutes instead of 10. Also added sliced white mushrooms and fresh basil with the veggies. Seasoned it with a bit of sriracha sauce before digging in. I LOVE pho but I'm trying to eat out less. This is a wonderful way to get my fix.

We were stuck for a chicken dinner tonight and I ran across this recipe. It's fabulous. We had a ready made pho base and next time will add cilantro. That said, as it was, Jonanthan said it is a 'company worthy' meal. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.

Since I found this recipe, I have made it about 10 times. Very good. Simple to make.

Excellent pho. Just as good as the restaurant. Must have the basil, jalapeno, and lime. Only changes I made were extra fish sauce, rice noodles and lemongrass. (I've never had Pho with egg noodles.) I used homemade chicken stock that was a little weak and was out of chicken bouillon so added a little beef Better than Bouillon to add some richness. Looking forward to trying it with good stock next time. This would be great with Bahn Mi sandwiches for a full Vietnamese meal.

Tasted just like the Pho soup at the local Vietnamese place. I added anise pod, lime and cilantro

I love this! It is so comforting. Perfect on a day when it's chilly out or if you're sick. I made mine without the chicken, because i'm vegetarian. But I left everything else the same.

Was terrific! Easy to make and really filling! Thank you...

This was my first attempt at Pho and the recipe is great. It just needed the addition of star anise(I added 2 to serve 7 people) during cooking and a couple of family members felt they needed a dash of soy sauce when it was served. You can use rice noodles which is the standard for Vietnemese Pho. Serve fresh basil,chillis and lime wedges at the table. Thank you for showing us all how to make delicious and simple Pho.

decent simple recipe. I added some star anise and cinnamon.

I love this recipe! Didnt have fish sauce so used soy sauce and it was still good! I also added mushrooms and left out the noodles. Love it!

I really did make it in 40 minutes. In addition I chopped up some serrano and jalapeno peppers and basil and soy sauce to add if desired. I would have liked some of thos little red thai peppers but don't have a source. I need to find one. This could be made with prawns too. Since I am doing Weight Watchers used shirakawa zero noodles instead. Delicious!!

You can'T make pho ga without adding star anise! This is an essential spice in making authentic Pho. Definitely add star anise and also hoisin sauce. I even added a teaspoon of soy sauce and a tiny splash of teriyaki sauce. It came out AMAZING!

Very Good. My teenage sons love pho but I have never had it so I made it as a surprise and they said it was better than the restaurant. The lime, jalapenos and cilantro garnish are a must. Delicious

Great base recipe! Although I did make the changes suggested in the reviews. I used 4 cups more stock just to feed more ppl. The MOST IMPORTANT additions to the broth are the star anise and cinnamon stick, the pho flavor just isn't there without them. I simmered them in the broth for about 10 minutes. Most oriental markets will have pho spice packets with the anise and cinnamon in them, they are less than $2 and then you don't have a huge bag of either of them. I used Hoisen sauce instead of the fish sauce just because my kids don't like it. Everything else was perfect but I did serve with sides of cilantro, bean sprouts and lime. Basil is traditionally served with this dish as well but I'm not a fan. Thank you, such a great dinner! Even my kids loved it and they are picky! Would easily rate this a 5 if it included the spices and sides!

Best ever! I am a gardener and I accidently planted bok Choy. Did not know what to do with it! Wow is this soup great. Don't care if authentic to anything or not, you will love it. Oh, but most of the time I leave out the noodles it just does not need them... Thank you Miss Ashley!

This chicken pho was very good. However, I had to alter the recipe because in Bulgaria we do not have Chinese egg noodles nor can I find lemon grass. Instead, I was able to find a thai sauce that contained lemon grass which I used as a substitute for lemon grass. And for Chinese egg noodles, I used thai rice noodles instead. Also, there are no fresh bean sprouts here, thus I had to use some that came from a jar. The result was very good, however, if I could get the real ingredients this recipe calls for, I bet this pho would have been even better.

Needs more vegetables. It was bland.

Yum yum!! I used soy sauce instead of fish sauce because that's what I had. A simple delicious soup!

Very nice basic recipe that can easily be added to to dress it up! Nice flavour

This soup was wonderful..my family really enjoyed it..we love Asian food.. and this was great and easy to make... I will be making this again and again

Delicious and easy to make. I’ll be making it again.

Very good! I added 1 and a 1/2 tbsp of oyster sauce as well to the recipe.

I added carrots,celery and baby bell mushrooms. I only used 1 tbsp of fish sauce and added 1 tbsp of Hoisin sauce and also added about a tsp of five spice along with 2 drops of lemongrass dottera oil. I used shirataki noodles because that's what I had. Will definitely make again.

Delicious!!

I used ponzu with lime to give it an extra kick. Also added Bella mushrooms.

It was a good recipe. Not sure if I’ll be making it again though.

I think i will try making this again. It was good but i cooked it too long and it became salty. Also I didn't add bok choy.

This was excellent. My boyfriend raved about it! Will be making this again and again.

Very good recipe! I followed the ingredients but bulked it up with a little extra on each of the sprouts, bok choy, and chicken. I needed it to be more filling and not so brothy. I used store bought low sodium broth. My local grocery did not carry fish sauce but had oyster sauce instead...go figure. No worry, it worked out fine. I served it with dried red paper flakes, cilantro, and lime juice on the side to customize to each persons liking. Thanks for sharing this recipe, it's a keeper!

After tasting the broth as described here, I added some anise, a pinch of cloves and several tablespoons of hoisen sauce for a huge improvement.

I made this tonight,my family loves Asian food.i did change it just a little bit. I used one whole leek instead of green onion and decided not to put in the fish sauce and added just a little soy sauce I also used the bean sprout as a garnish instead of cooking it also fresh jalapeño and basil. This was amazing thank you for posting!

I loved it. Instead of using lemon grass I used sliced lemons and I added five spice. Delicious soup

This is the first time I've attempted a pho. It was quite delicious, though somewhat milder than I would have liked. Next time I will add more garlic, ginger and fish sauce. I added a bit of sriracha in my bowl. I will certainly make this again with a few little tweaks.

Love this recipe. I made my own broth by putting a whole chicken in a large stockpot, covered it with water and added 3 anise stars. Simmered it all 4 hours or so. Took meat off the bones, threw away the skin, put the bones back in the pot, and simmered another couple hours. Strained it through cheesecloth into a second stockpot. Had about 24 cups of amazing broth. I froze 12 cups and used the other 12 cups, doubling the recipe, but sticking to the ingredients listed. Used cooked rice noodles (added to each bowl of soup before serving), added sliced mushrooms, and served with lime wedges, sriracha, and Thai basil. Could not find bean sprouts anywhere and I do think they are a great addition to the soup, so I will keep searching for next time. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe

Broth is a little on the rich side compared to traditional Pho but tastes delicious.

It needed more seasonings. I thought it was rather bland. Having eaten at many Vietnamese restaurants I know what good pho should taste like and this definitely needed something. Also should not added the bok choi. That's not original to pho.

Needs the missing spices typically found like cloves and such but otherwise delicious! I also made my own chicken broth

Really good. I cut the fish sauce in half and added a teaspoon of lemon juice. Also I added sliced jalapeño and Thai basil along with the bean sprouts upon serving.

This was the first time I made a pho, though I have bought it hundreds of times in many different restaurants. Once I put jalapeños in my broth, it tasted the same as one in a Vietnamese restaurant. I used rice noodles instead of egg noodles, and the kids loved it. I will definitely make it again.

I'll be trying this tomorrow but I'll be using rice noodles (which I already have.) It looks like something even I can prepare and...can't wait!

Slightly altered because I just used what I had, but man so good.

This recipe was fantastic. I followed it almost exactly but used raw chicken (3 breasts). I added a whole scallion, whole jalapeño, and some cilantro sprigs. I used 1.5 TBS fish sauce. 6 cups of broth and 2 cups of water with a little boullion. A few shakes of garlic, onion powder, and ginger and salt and pepper. I simmered everything for 30 minutes. Then I removed the chicken and drained the soup and discarded the whole ingredients, floating chicken fat, etc. I then added the broth back with the chicken into a pot and added chopped scallions and cilantro. I added brown rice to it. It was delicious!! The only thing I'll do differently next time is probably use cooked chicken (as the recipe calls for) since it will make the recipe easier. The broth tastes incredible.

Used pho seasoning/broth from .asian Market in addition to these ingredients also added a cinnamon stick. I use rice noodles, spinach, Thai basil in addition to the Ming bean sprouts, scallions and bok Chou. I also use the carcass and left over meat from a roasted chicken.

This is a great and easy recipe to make. The flavors are absolutely fantastic. I made it with vegetable broth simply because I didn't have chicken broth at home and it was wonderful!

for my first try at Pho, this recipe was very easy and I was able to follow it with making minor changes just because I didn't have all the ingredients. My husband and I enjoyed it and I'll be making again!

Loved it...