Fast, Flavorful, Pho-tastic(Instant Pot Pho Ga, Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup )
I can’t think of anything more comforting than a steaming bowl of noodle soup. If marooned on an island, what would you eat and what 3 books would you want to have with you. My response would be immediate, a no-brainer, noodle soup. The caveat being noodle soup would include Pho, Ramen, Udon, Won Ton Noodle Soup, Guksu, Laksa…. and one of my 3 books would be Andrea Nguyen’s The Pho Cookbook.
I have always wanted to try my hand at making Pho. But the stock for this popular Vietnamese Noodle Soup is a labor of love. Hours of simmering on the stove coaxing the flavors out of chicken, beef, and aromatics like ginger, onions, and cilantro. Intimidating to say the least. Andrea’s recipe for Pho Ga (Chicken Pho) made in a pressure cooker was the “kick in the pants” I needed. Pho in less than an hour? I immediately headed to the store for ingredients. Slurp City here I come. Thanks to Andrea Nguyen and Instant Pot, I was about to make Pho in a fraction of the time. Ms. Nguyen has written quite a few cookbooks on the cuisine of Vietnam and I snapped up her ode to soup noodles after an interview on KQED.
This makes homemade Pho eminently doable. One pot cooking, woohoo. Increase the cooking time if you have an Instant Pot. It works at a slightly lower pressure (11.5psi) than a conventional pressure cooker. Remove the cilantro and ginger after the cooking process as both herbs continue to flavor the stock and may overpower the flavor of the broth. Modify the natural pressure release by letting your Instant Pot sit for 5 minutes before venting and opening. Once you remove the chicken, place it in a cold water bath. This keeps the chicken tender and moist. If you like your chicken a bit more done, leave it in the pot for about 15 minutes before removing. The chicken can be shredded or sliced whatever your preference.
With your broth done, your noodles softened. It is now Topping Time! Toppings, toppings, toppings galore. You can be traditional and top your pho with basil, mint, and bean sprouts or you can keep going and add ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING YOU WANT. I didn’t have bean sprouts so I used shredded carrots and cabbage. Thinly sliced red onions add a nice bite. Delicious. Mushrooms, let those fungus fly..into your bowl. Condiments include Siracha for spice, Hoisin for a bit of sweetness and a squeeze of lime. S cubed-sweet, salty, spicy and so good!
Now you and I can make our own bowls of deliciousness.
Fast, Flavorful, Pho-tastic (Instant Pot Pho Ga)
Ingredients
BROTH
- 1 whole chicken 4 lbs.
- 1 rounded tbsp. coriander seeds
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 medium yellow onion peeled, halved, and sliced 1/2 in. thick
- 1 3- in. piece ginger peeled and thickly sliced
- 1 small Fuji apple peeled, cored, and cut into thumbnail-size chunks
- 1/2-3/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro sprigs
- About 2 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
- About 1 1/2 tbsp. fish sauce
- About 1 tsp. organic sugar* or 2 tsp. maple syrup if needed to round out flavor
BOWLS
- 10 ounce dried narrow flat rice noodles*
- About half of cooked chicken from the broth
- 1/2 small red onion halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced and soaked in water 10 minutes
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion green parts only
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- Pepper
- Vietnamese Herb Garnish Plate
- Vietnamese Ginger Dipping Sauce
Instructions
- Step 1
- Make broth: Rinse chicken and set aside to drain. Put coriander seeds and cloves in a dry 6- to 8-qt. pressure cooker. Over medium heat, toast until fragrant, shaking, several minutes. Add onion and ginger and cook, stirring, until browned on edges, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Step 2
- Add 4 cups water, then the chicken, breast side up. Add apple, cilantro, salt, and another 4 cups water. Lock the lid in place.
- Step 3
- Following your cooker's instructions, bring to low pressure (8 psi) over high heat. Lower heat to maintain pressure. Cook 15 minutes, or a few minutes longer if your cooker's low setting is less than 8 psi. If your cooker has only a high-pressure (15 psi) setting, cook 12 minutes. The Instant Pot setting is approximately 12 psi so I increased the time to 14 minutes. If you like your chicken falling off the bone leave the chicken in the Instant Pot for 20 minutes before pressure release. I waited 5 minutes and then did a quick release. The chicken was tender much like white cut chicken.
- Step 4
- Transfer the chicken to a bowl; if parts fall off in transit, don’t worry. Add cold water to cover the chicken and soak for 10 minutes to cool and prevent drying. Pour off the water, partially cover, and set the chicken aside to cool.
- Step 5
- Skim some fat from the broth before straining it through a muslin-lined mesh strainer positioned over a medium pot. Discard the solids. You should have about 8 cups. Taste and season the broth with the fish sauce, extra salt, and perhaps a bit of sugar.
- Step 6
- Use a knife to remove the breast halves and legs from the chicken. Set aside half of the chicken for another use. Reserve the remaining chicken for pho bowl assembly.
Prep and assemble the bowls
- About 30 minutes before serving, ready the ingredients for the bowls. Soak the noodles in hot tap water until pliable and opaque. Drain, rinse, and drain well.
- Step 7
- Cut or tear the chicken breast and leg into pieces about 1⁄4 inch thick. Place the onion, green onion, and cilantro in separate bowls and line them up with the noodles, chicken, and pepper for a pho assembly line.
- Bring the broth to a simmer over medium heat as you are assembling the bowls. At the same time, fill a pot with water and bring to a rolling boil for the noodles.
- For each bowl, use a noodle strainer or mesh sieve to dunk a portion of the noodles in the boiling water. When the noodles are soft, 5 to 60 seconds, pull the strainer from the water, shaking it to drain excess water back into the pot. Empty the noodles into a bowl.
- Top with chicken, then garnish with onion, green onion, cilantro, and pepper and any toppings you want.
- Check the broth flavor once more, raise the heat, and bring it to a boil. Ladle about 2 cups broth into each bowl. Enjoy immediately.