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Chicken noodle soup with mange tout, chillies and spring onions in a blue bowl on a pink background with chopsticks. by side of dish.
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5 from 4 votes

Chicken Pho (Vietnamese Inspired Noodle Soup)

This budget-friendly chicken pho is a delicious take on the traditional Vietnamese recipe. It's easy, ready in less than 30 minutes, and oh-so-tasty!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: mains, meal prep
Cuisine: VIETNAMESE
Servings: 5
Calories: 454kcal
Author: Mimi Harrison
Cost: £1.93

Ingredients

  • 600 g 3 chicken breasts (£4.70)
  • 250 g rice noodles (5 nests) (£1.05)
  • 200 g bean sprouts (£0.50)
  • 160 g mange tout (£1.00)
  • 1 lime, sliced into wedges (£0.25)
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated (£0.55)
  • Fresh basil, torn to serve (£0.55)
  • 50 g spring onion, thinly sliced (£0.50)
  • Fresh chillies, thinly sliced (£0.55)

Cupboard Essentials

  • 2.5 litres chicken or beef stock
  • 5 tbsp fish sauce
Metric - US Standard

Instructions

Note: I made this as a meal prep recipe to keep prices down. So when making an individual portion, use 500ml stock (½ stock cube to avoid overly salty flavour),  1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp ginger etc. The ingredients above, divided by 5.

  • To a large saucepan filled with heavily salted boiling water, add the chicken breasts. Poach the chicken for 12 minutes, or until entirely cooked through.
  • Remove the cooked chicken from the saucepan and transfer onto a chopping board. Use a fork to shred into bite-sized pieces.
  • For meal prep, divide all of the ingredients into 5 meal prep containers, except the liquids (the stock and fish sauce) and the toppings. Reserve some of the greener end of the spring onion to garnish.
  • When it’s time to eat, add the contents of a meal prep container into a small saucepan. Pour the stock and fish sauce into the pan and cook over a low/ medium heat, for around 4 minutes, or until the rice noodles are fully cooked.
  • Top with a lime wedge to squeeze with serving, spring onion, chillies and pepper.

Notes

  • Heat rice noodles over low heat to prevent breakage.
  • Avoid breaking the noodle nest prematurely: Allow the noodles to soften before attempting to separate the nest; breaking them too early can result in broken bits. 
  • Maintain the traditional clear broth of chicken pho by skimming off any emerging bits, such as chicken fat, in the initial 20 minutes of cooking.
  • To prevent mushiness, cook rice noodles shortly before serving to avoid their disintegration, especially when immersed in hot broth for an extended period.

Nutrition

Calories: 454kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 11g