Discover the Secret to Perfecting Authentic Vietnamese Pho Soup with Koji's Cooks Recipe!

PHO

In the early nineties at Mike's on the Ave. in New Orleans, I worked with a talented Vietnamese pastry chef named Minh. For family meals, she would often whip up a quick Pho that everyone adored, and I still create variations of it today. In this recipe, I'm using roast chicken, but almost any protein can work well. The vegetables can also vary, with options like mung bean sprouts, mushrooms, cabbage, broccoli, bok choy, and baby corn. Garnishes such as mint and basil are excellent additions too.

PHO - Recipe (serves 8)

6 cups of chicken stock

1 tablespoon each grated garlic and ginger root.

Soak 8 ounces of thin rice noodles in warm water for 8 minutes, then drain them and set aside.

2 tablespoons fish sauce - fish sauce intensities vary greatly, you may add a bit more at the finish if you so desire.

2 tablespoons soy sauce, light colored is best.

3 teaspoons of sugar

20 grinds of white pepper.

1/4 teaspoon sea or kosher salt

1/2 cup of sliced carrot, onion, celery, and sweet bell pepper each - see photo for reference

1/3 cup of sundried tomatoes, coarsely chopped.

3 cups of shredded cooked chicken; refer to koji cooks roast chicken recipe or use a store-bought rotisserie chicken.

20-30 small spinach leaves, washed.

METHOD

In a large pot, mix the chicken stock, garlic, and ginger, and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 3 minutes, then add the rice noodles and continue boiling for another 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients, except for the spinach and chicken, which should be added at the end. Turn off the heat, then incorporate the chicken and spinach leaves. Check the seasoning for salt, pepper, and possibly more fish sauce. Serve with the garnishes listed below. If you plan to serve it later, add 4-5 ice cubes to stop the cooking, and reheat on medium-low heat.

GARNISHES

lime wedges, cilantro sprigs, chili-garlic sauce and scallions.