Thursday, February 21, 2013

Pho Ga - Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup




I probably shouldn't tell you that I've been meaning to make this dish for almost two years, because then you would know two things about me. One - there are that many recipes that I am dying to make and have only just gotten to this one, which I admit is a little scary. Am I that food obsessed? And secondly that I am that good at procrastinating. How many times have I cooked the same boring thing when I could have been making fabulous Pho? Now that I've made it I'm a bit disappointed I didn't tackle this one sooner. I thought it was going to be this big elaborate evening in the kitchen and it was quite the contrary. 

I actually made this dish in a matter of minutes, but that's my style. I do a million things at once and manage to do them with extraordinary speed. Should I slow down sometimes? Yes. Do I know this, but generally disregard it? Unfortunately.  I'm a serial multi-tasker that speeds around the kitchen at a million miles an hour with little regard for the mess that I'm making. But I will say that I do make pretty darn good food most of the time, so I'm going to keep on cooking, baking and whizzing around. This is the place where I stop and smell the roses. The time when I reflect on the food I've made, the mess I've created and the memories along the way. So please indulge me in the pleasure of sharing my favorites foods to cook, as well as the naughty nibbles I bake along the way. 

What you'll need:  
  • 1 package rice vermicelli
  • 1 litre chicken broth
  • 2 cm sliced ginger
  • 1 pod cardamon
  • 2 star Anise
  • 1 cinnamon Stick
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 1 Tbs Palm Sugar
  • fish sauce to taste 


  • For the garnishing:
  • bean sprouts
  • fresh basil leaves
  • fresh coriander leaves
  • fried shallots
  • sliced green chillies
  • lemon wedges

How to make it: