When I traveled to Vietnam, I ate pho almost every day for two weeks.
I missed it so much that I tried recreating it at home!
The moment I tasted this broth, I felt like I was back there — it made me so happy.
Even without spices, the soup tastes great.
But if you want to recreate the authentic Vietnamese flavor, adding the spices is a must!
Ingredients
| 【Broth】 | |
| Water | 1L |
| Chicken breast (skinless) | 360g / |
| Purple onion (regular onion is fine too) | 1/2 |
| Ginger | 4–5 slices |
| 〇Fish sauce | 1–2 tsp |
| 〇Chicken bouillon powder | 2 tbsp |
| 〇Brown sugar (or regular sugar) | 1 tsp |
| 〇Salt | A few shakes |
| 【Spices】 (optional, but highly recommended for authentic flavor!) | |
| Cinnamon | 1/2 stick |
| Star anise | 1 |
| Cloves | 2 |
| Cardamom pod | 1(or 2 shakes of ground cardamom) |
| 【Toppings】 | |
| dried pho noodles (no pre-soaking needed) | 68g × 3 |
| Cilantro | to taste |
| Lime (or lemon) | 1/2 |
| Bean sprouts | 100g |
| Black pepper | optional, for finishing |
| Red chilies | 2(optional — skip if you don’t like spicy) |
How to Make
1⃣ Prep
Slice the ginger and onion thinly.
Cut the lime into 4 pieces.
Tear the cilantro into small pieces for topping.
Poke the chicken breast with a fork and lightly sprinkle with salt.
Bring 1L of water to a boil in a large pot.
2⃣ Sauté the ginger and onion
Heat a little oil in a pan.
Sauté the ginger and onion until the onion becomes translucent.
Turn off the heat and transfer everything into the boiling water.
3⃣ Add spices (optional)
Place the spices into a tea bag or spice pouch, then add it to the boiling water.
4⃣ Cook the chicken
Add the chicken breast to the pot with the onion and ginger.
Cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
5⃣ Cook the pho noodles
In a separate pot, bring plenty of water to a boil and cook the pho noodles according to the package instructions.
(*My package said 3 minutes, but I boiled them for 5 minutes because I prefer softer noodles.)
6⃣ Slice the chicken
After 20 minutes, remove the chicken and spices from the pot.
Slice the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
7⃣ Season the broth
Add the 〇 ingredients (fish sauce, chicken bouillon powder, brown sugar, salt) to the broth.
Taste and adjust the seasoning — if it needs more saltiness, add a little more fish sauce.
8⃣ Assemble and serve
Place the cooked noodles into bowls.
Pour the hot broth over the noodles.
Top with cilantro, bean sprouts, chicken, dried chilies, and lime.
Sprinkle black pepper if you like!
Note: In Vietnam, bean sprouts are often added raw.
If you prefer, you can quickly blanch them before topping.
During my trip to Vietnam, I had pho for breakfast every morning at my hotel.
It was so delicious that sometimes I went back for a third bowl!
The staff gave me a funny look like, “You’re back again?!”
It was a little embarrassing, but honestly, starting my day with a bowl of pho made me so happy.
Chicken breast is low in fat and high in protein, so even my husband, who is currently training, loved this meal.
It’s so satisfying and perfect if you’re watching your calories!
If this looks tasty to you, please share it on Twitter/X!
And if you try making it, tag me — I’d love to see your creations!
