A Photastic Chicken Noodle Salad (Pho Ga Tron)
I found a recipe in the Los Angeles Times for a quick delicious Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup, Pho Ga. The author, Andrea Ngyuen also tacked on a second recipe, Pho Ga Tron, or Chicken Pho Noodle Salad. The broth from the Pho Ga is a building block for the sweet and spicy dressing for the salad. The salad contains rice noodles, herbs, and greens, and is topped with crispy fried onions and roasted peanuts. It’s lip-smacking good! Andrea actually makes the quick broth just for this dish and serves bowls of the broth alongside the salad. Make the soup for Pho Ga one day, and reserve the extra broth to make the dressing for the salad another day. I julienned romaine lettuce for added crunch. I bet napa cabbage or iceberg would also work.
Chicken Pho Noodle Salad
Ingredients
Quick Chicken Pho broth, divided. See Quick Pho Ga recipe
- 1/2 cup chicken pho broth
- 1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 1⁄2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons unseasoned Japanese rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons regular soy sauce
- 1 1⁄2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoons water
- 10 ounces dried medium flat rice noodles
- About 8 ounces cooked chicken from Quick Chicken Pho
- 2 cups butter lettuce or soft leaf lettuce cut into narrow ribbons, with spines intact
- 1⁄4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leafy tops only
- 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint or Thai basil leaves
- 1/3 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup fried shallots or onion homemade or purchased
- Thinly sliced green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Combine 1⁄2 cup of the broth with the salt, sugar, chile sauce, vinegar and soy sauce. Set this sauce mixture near the stove.
- Put the oil and the garlic in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until the garlic sizzles and is light blond, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from heat for about 15 seconds to cool slightly, then add the sauce mixture. Place the pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Stir the cornstarch slurry, then swirl into the bubbly sauce. Once thickened, about 15 seconds, remove from heat and set aside for at least 10 minutes before using. This makes about 1/2 cup sauce.
- Meanwhile, boil the noodles in a pot of water until tender chewy following the package instructions, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain, cool quickly under running water, then set aside to fully drain and cool.
- Reheat the remaining broth in a saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, cut or shred the chicken into bite-size pieces and, if needed, warm in a microwave oven to remove the chill and refresh; ideally the chicken has some succulence. Set aside.
- To assemble, have 4 rice bowls for broth and 4 noodle-soup-size bowls for the salad. Put a little green onion into each rice bowl (use the rest for the noodle salad). Set near the broth.
- Divide the lettuce among the noodle soup bowls. Add a portion of noodles and chicken, then drizzle over the sauce to taste. Top with the remaining green onion, cilantro, mint (or basil), peanut, and fried shallots (or onion).
- Ladle the hot broth into the rice bowls. Serve immediately with the noodle salad bowls. Invite guests to wield spoons and chopsticks to toss their salads and enjoy the broth as soothing interludes. If the noodles seem too heavy with sauce, mix in a spoonful of broth.
Each serving:
- Calories 613; Protein 33 grams; Carbohydrates 82 grams; Fiber 3 grams; Fat 18 grams; Saturated fat 3 grams; Cholesterol 72 mg; Sugar 10 grams; Sodium 1,795 mg