Pho Ga (Chicken Noodle Soup)

I found this recipe on pinterest too... Pho in restaurants is amazing, so I was definitely skeptical about trying it at home, especially considering my infamous track record when it comes to cooking.  But I went for it and it turned out great; it also left some room for creativity with herbs and stuff.  I guess "pho" just means rice noodles and "ga" means chicken, so this is really just chicken noodle soup, Asian style :) Use enormous bowls and chopsticks to make it tastiest :)

Pho Ga

Serves 4-6

Broth

10 C (2 1/2 L) chicken stock or 4-5 stock cubes dissolved in 10 C water (I used prepared stock)

1/2 fresh chicken (I used 2 chicken breasts instead)

1 cinnamon stick (I used a few dashes of cinnamon because that's what I had on hand)

4 green onions, cut into lengths

1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and bruised

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp fish sauce (NewAsianCuisine.com recommends Three Crabs brand; I couldn't find that brand though)

1. Bring chicken stock, chicken, cinnamon, onions, ginger, sugar, and salt to boil over high heat in stockpot.

2. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes, skimming off foam and fat periodically.

3. Stir in fish sauce and remove from heat.

4. Remove chicken and set aside to cool.

5. Strain solids from broth and keep clear broth warm over very low heat.

Noodles

10 oz (300 g) dried rice stick noodles or rice vermicelli (I used rice stick noodles)

4 C bean sprouts, seed coats and tails removed, blanched until cooked

1 onion, thinly sliced (I used green onions here)

ground white pepper (which actually smells nauseating, so I'd recommend using black pepper)

cilantro, basil, and mint leaves (or any combination thereof)

limes cut into sections

2 chilis, sliced and deseeded, with soy sauce (or sriracha!!!)

1. Bring pot of water to boil over medium heat. Add dried noodles and blanch until soft (about 5 minutes for stick noodles or 2 minutes for vermicelli). Remove and rinse with cold water, drain.

2. Shred chicken along the grain into thin strips.

3. Place noodles in serving bowls (use HUGE ones if you have them) and top with bean sprouts, shredded chicken, and onions.

4. Pour hot broth into each bowl, sprinkle with pepper, and garnish with cilantro, basil, and mint.

5. Serve hot with limes and chili/soy sauce mixture (or sriracha!!!) on the side.

I served this with TONS of extra cilantro and basil, as well as extra cool bean sprouts. The cinnamon addition sounds weird, but just do it, because it really makes it taste like restaurant pho. I'm not usually the biggest fan of adding cinnamon to cooked food, but it really works here.  Also, serve with extra limes and plain yogurt (always serve everything with extra limes and plain yogurt)! Add plenty of sriracha sauce as you eat it :) A soft drink really hits the spot with this spicy meal (I learned that from my sister :))  Enjoy!!!