New Year’s Day Pho for Two

Happy New Year! Welcome to the first recipe (and Sunday Supper!) of 2023 on Djalali Cooks. Pho (pronounced “fuh”) is a Vietnamese soup known for its deeply flavored, clear broth. Warming, soothing, and hearty, pho is traditionally a beef-based soup. Today’s New Year’s Day Pho for Two is a chicken-based pho. It comes together easily, mostly with pantry staples. If you have some homemade broth you’ve been saving in the freezer, this is a great recipe to put it to use. Let’s jump right in!

I am starting with a homemade broth that we made from a ham bone. You can start with turkey broth (if you made some from the Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday), beef broth, or chicken broth. We will fortify the flavor of the broth by simmering 2 quarts of broth with turkey or chicken wings, along with our chicken thighs, roasted onions and ginger, and spices.

Switch the oven to broil, with the rack placed about 6-inches from the top heating element. Quarter one large, unpeeled yellow onion. Slice a 2-inch piece of fresh ginger into 1/4-inch slices. Place the onion (cut side up) and ginger on a sheet tray and drizzle with olive oil. Place the tray in the oven and let the onions char a little and become soft.

Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven, heat the 2 quarts of broth over high heat. Add the two turkey wings (or 6 chicken wings) and your 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs.

Build the Broth

For the spices, we have cardamom pods, 2 star anise, a cinnamon stick, fennel seeds and coriander seeds. We also have 2 teaspoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. I didn’t measure the seeds and the cardamom pods, but figure about 1 heaping teaspoon of each.

By the time the broth is coming to boil, the onions and ginger should be a little charred and softened. Use tongs to add the onions (unpeeled) and ginger to the pot.

Let the broth come back to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover. If a lot of scum floats to the top, periodically skim the scum to help keep the broth clear. Let the broth simmer for 30-40 minutes, until the turkey wings and chicken thighs are cooked through. Then use tongs to transfer the turkey wings and chicken thighs out of the broth.

Once the chicken and turkey are transferred out of the broth, strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a fresh pot, or a large measuring cup or batter bowl. If you strain it into a bowl and want to finish the soup in the same you started with, be sure to wash out the pot before pouring the strained broth back into the pot. Doing so will keep any scummy bits from clouding your broth.

Bring the strained broth back up to a boil, reduce the heat and let it vigorously simmer to reduce for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile you can start a separate pot to boil for the noodles. You can cut the chicken thighs into bite-size pieces and pull the wing meat from the turkey or chicken wings. You can prep the garnishes.

Pho Garnishes

The garnishes for pho add fresh flavors and textures to the meaty broth, tender meat and chewy noodles. We have fresh basil leaves, fresh cilantro, mung bean sprouts, fresh jalapeños, sliced scallions, and lime wedges. For our condiments, we have Hoisin sauce for a little sweetness and chili garlic sauce for heat. Arrange the fresh garnishes on a small sheet tray so everyone can top their New Year’s Day Pho just how they want.

Cook the linguini-style rice noodles according to the package directions for al dente and add a serving of noodles to a wide bowl. Add a handful of the cut, cooked chicken on top of the noodles. Just before serving, cut the heat on the broth. Add the 1/4 cup of fish sauce, stir and taste the broth for seasoning. Then, ladle a few ladles of the simmering hot broth over the noodles.

Then garnish the New Year’s Day Pho for Two with whatever fresh garnishes and condiments you like.

New Year’s Day Pho for Two

What a deeply satisfying pho! Though we aren’t spending days on it, we still have a substantial broth; with layers of flavor from the turkey wing fortification, the spices, the charred onion and ginger…When I set the broth for its final simmer, I had 8 cups of broth, which reduced down to about 7.5 cups. This was enough for three, or leftovers. New Year’s Day Pho for Three doesn’t have the same ring to it though. 😊

I always felt intimidated by pho, but this recipe is super simple and yields such amazing results. It’s not a traditional pho one gets at a Vietnamese restaurant, but that’s not exactly what I am going for here. This is an approachable, relatively quick and easy way to enjoy pho at home. I definitely recommend starting with bone broth, or broth you’ve made at home by simmering chicken, beef or pork bones, for maximum flavor. If you want to try another great Vietnamese dish, try Bún Chả (Vietnamese Pork Patties) or Vietnamese Grilled Pork Noodle Bowl (bún thịt nướng). Happy New Year, take care and be well! xo Kelly

Key Serveware

Print Recipe

New Year's Day Pho for Two

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading...

Dinner, Main Course, Breakfast, Brunch – Vietnamese

By Adapted From Smitten Kitchen – Serves: 2-3

Prep Time: 15-20 Minutes – Cooking Time: 1 Hour – Total Time: ~1 Hour, 30 Minutes

Today's New Year's Day Pho for Two is a chicken-based pho. It comes together easily, mostly with pantry staples, in less than 90 minutes.

Ingredients

• Pho
• 1 large Yellow Onion, unpeeled, quartered
• 1 2-inch piece of Fresh Ginger, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
• Olive Oil
• 2 qts. Bone Broth (like Chicken, Turkey, Beef, or Pork)
• 2 Turkey Wings or 6 Chicken Wings
• 4-6 Skinless, Boneless Chicken Thighs (or 2-4 Breasts)
• 2 Star Anise
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 1 Heaping tsp. each: Cardamom Pods, Fennel Seeds, Coriander Seeds
• 1 tbsp. Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
• 2 tsp. Sugar
• Linguini-Style Rice Noodles
• 1/4 cup Fish Sauce
• Garnishes
• Fresh Basil Leaves
• Fresh Cilantro Leaves
• Mung Bean Sprouts
• Sliced Scallion
• Fresh Jalapeño slices
• Lime Wedges
• Condiments
• Chili Garlic Sauce
• Hoisin Sauce

Instructions

1

Switch the oven to broil, with the rack placed about 6-inches from the top heating element.

2

Place the onion (cut side up) and ginger on a sheet tray and drizzle with olive oil. Place the tray in the oven and let the onions char a little and become soft. About 10 minutes.

3

Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven, heat the 2 quarts of broth over high heat. Add the two turkey wings (or 6 chicken wings) and your 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs.

4

Add the cardamom pods, star anise, cinnamon stick, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, sugar and kosher salt.

5

By the time the broth is coming to boil, the onions and ginger should be a little charred and softened. Use tongs to add the onions (unpeeled) and ginger to the pot.

6

Let the broth come back to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover. If a lot of scum floats to the top, periodically skim the scum to help keep the broth clear. Let the broth simmer for 30-40 minutes, until the turkey wings and chicken thighs are cooked through. Then use tongs to transfer the turkey wings and chicken thighs out of the broth.

7

Once the chicken and turkey are transferred out of the broth, strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a fresh pot, or a large measuring cup or batter bowl. If you strain it into a bowl and want to finish the soup in the same you started with, be sure to wash out the pot before pouring the strained broth back into the pot. Doing so will keep any scummy bits from clouding your broth.

8

Bring the strained broth back up to a boil, reduce the heat and let it vigorously simmer to reduce for about 30 minutes.

9

Meanwhile you can start a separate pot to boil for the noodles. You can cut the chicken thighs into bite-size pieces and pull the wing meat from the turkey or chicken wings. You can prep the garnishes. Arrange the fresh garnishes on a small sheet tray and cover with a damp towel until service.

10

Cook the linguini-style rice noodles according to the package directions for al dente and add a serving of noodles to a wide bowl. Add a handful of the cut, cooked chicken on top of the noodles. Just before serving, cut the heat on the broth. Add the 1/4 cup of fish sauce, stir and taste the broth for seasoning. Then, ladle a few ladles of the simmering hot broth over the noodles.

11

Garnish the New Year's Day Pho for Two with whatever fresh garnishes and condiments you like.

This post may contain affiliate links; when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission on qualifying items.