Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup—Pho Ga Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between pho Bo and Pho Ga? ›

When it comes to pho, there are two basic types - Pho ga (chicken) or Pho bo (beef). Condiments for both of these mouth-watering soups include hoisin and lime sauce, chili sauce, and a sweet and spicy sauce made from vinegar, garlic, sugar, and soybeans.

Broth - the soul of Pho. Beef bones play a crucial role in influencing the quality of the broth. Combined with spices such as ginger, charred onions, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and coriander seeds, the broth gains a distinct aroma.

Pho is a hearty dish. It's filled to the brim of the bowl with a generous amount of broth, spices, noodles, and veggies. It's a great appetite-killer in this sense. A single bowl will settle easily in the stomach and take care of any lingering hunger that would otherwise double-down a few hours later.

Pho is a traditional Vietnamese street food and has the same magic ingredient as chicken soup — bone broth — but incorporates more herbs and spices to naturally boost your immune system, and speed up your body's recovery time. It's the perfect comfort food — warm, hearty, and healing.

Due to its nutritious ingredients and high protein content, it may offer several benefits, including reduced inflammation and improved joint health. Still, it can be high in sodium and calories, so portion size is important. Overall, pho can be a nutritious addition to a well-balanced diet.

The traditional recipe is a time-consuming process that involves simmering roasted beef bones, meat, and spices in broth for several hours to extract all the flavors and nutrients. The good news is that there's a simpler and quicker way to make delicious pho at at home.

Sa sung—dried peanut worms—have been described as the secret ingredient of great pho.

Are you supposed to drink the broth in pho? Yes! The broth is the show's star in pho, giving the soup its unique flavor. The key is to savor each spoonful, so you can appreciate the complexity of flavors that make up this delicious dish.

"Made with rice noodles and a rich beef bone stock, it's a perfect vehicle for bean sprouts and nutrient-rich herbs." The soup itself, a rich bone broth, is filled with health benefits for your body, including your immune and digestive system, and your bones and joints.

If you're eating pho that often, your body will lack the necessary amount of fiber – which makes the body unable to absorb enough vitamins and minerals. Lacking fiber can also affect the digestive system and cause constipation.

Why do I get thirsty after eating pho? ›

Pho makes you thirsty. The rice noodles also absorb a lot of soup and make you more full each additional second you spend not eating it. The friendly MSG also inside makes you thirsty so that you are drinking more water to make the noodles already in your stomach expand even more.

One downside of pho is that it can be high in fat. "When you eat fatty meats like oxtail or fatty brisket ... too much of the fattiness contains saturated fat which can clog your arteries and increase your risk for stroke and heart disease," Gregier notes.

Fish Sauce Sensitivity: Pho also contains fish sauce, which is made from fermented fish. Some individuals may be sensitive to fish sauce and experience diarrhea after consuming it. Those with fish allergies or fish intolerance should avoid pho or request it to be made without fish sauce [2].

“Fresh vegetables added to pho are a nutritious addition,” says Syn. “Vegetables are low in calories and high in vitamins, minerals and filling fiber.” The one thing to be extra conscientious with pho is that it's very high in sodium, which can cause increased blood pressure and contribute to cardiovascular issues.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) symptom complex refers to a group of symptoms some people experience after eating food containing MSG. These symptoms often include headache, skin flushing, and sweating.

“Phở gà” simply means chicken rice noodle soup. A bowl of pho ga consists of soft slippery pho noodles, sliced or shredded chicken meat and light and fragrant broth.

The Hanoi (northern) and Saigon (southern) styles of pho differ by noodle width, sweetness of broth, and choice of herbs and sauce.

Pho Ga is a Vietnamese chicken rice noodle soup, also known as chicken pho. It's a light chicken broth with rice noodles and topped with gently poached chicken, lots of fresh herbs and mung bean sprouts for a hot, delicious, and comforting meal. This recipe is economical and free of top allergens.

Phở Gà, or chicken pho is the Vietnamese version of Chicken Noodle Soup. With a light clean chicken broth and flat rice noodles it's soothing comfort food at it's best. Making great chicken stock can be challenging.