This weeknight-friendly Vietnamese chicken noodle soup is made with store-bought chicken stock that’s been simmered with charred aromatics and spices to save time without compromising on the rich and savory flavors you crave in Pho Ga.
This Comforting Soup Is Ready in Under an Hour!
This Vietnamese chicken noodle soup recipe is inspired by one I order at at SLC’s Phở Saigon Noodle House 2 and the Pho soup cooking methods I learned at a cooking class when I visited Vietnam. This soup boasts the same fragrant flavors and slurpable broth I love in traditional Pho Ga, but it’s a weeknight-friendly recipe that’s ready in about an hour.
To save time, I start with store-bought chicken stock (or my homemade pulled from the freezer), then give it a major flavor upgrade with charred shallot and ginger, whole spices, and a little time on the stove. The finished soup broth is deeply savory and beautifully aromatic despite the short 30-minute simmer time.
Chinese egg noodles make this soup especially quick, and tender chicken turns it into a meal that’s hearty enough to call dinner.
If you’re searching for a 100% authentic Vietnamese chicken soup recipe, this isn’t it. But it IS incredibly flavorful, comforting, and exactly what I want when a Pho craving strikes on a Tuesday night.
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Really blacken the aromatics. This is what gives the broth such a rich and smoky flavor. Peel off the charred skin from the shallot and ginger to prevent your soup from tasting bitter.
Toast your spices for maximum flavor. The cinnamon and star anise need to be heated to make them super aromatic.
Cook the Chinese egg noodles separately. Although it creates more dirty dishes, cooking the egg noodles in a separate pot prevents them from softening too much in the hot broth.
The Key Ingredients
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Chinese egg noodles — You want the thin ones that are sold in the refrigerated section. I find them at my local Asian supermarket. They add lots of chewy texture to the soup.
- Aromatics — Ginger and shallot form the flavor base of the broth.
- Whole spices — The broth is further infused with star anise and cinnamon. Don’t sub in ground spices, which will overpower the broth.
- Chicken stock — Instead of making my own pho broth from scratch, I opted to doctor up chicken stock with fresh aromatics and whole spices. I usually keep homemade chicken stock in the freezer, but if I’m out I’ll swap in a really good quality store-bought stock. Stick to chicken stock and avoid milder tasting chicken broth, if possible.
- Fish sauce — Poor quality fish sauce can taste super salty, so stick to quality brands like Red Boat.
- Chicken breasts — To keep this a quicker-cooking recipe, I used chicken breasts rather than chicken thighs.
- Lime juice — Freshly squeezed makes a huge difference, so skip the bottled stuff this one time.
- Toppings — You can top your bowl of Vietnamese chicken soup with any toppings you like, but I stuck to traditional toppings like bean sprouts, Thai basil and cilantro, green onion, jalapeño, lime, and crispy shallots (found at Trader Joe’s).
Ingredient Swaps and Substitutions
- Swap the Chinese egg noodles for rice noodles
- Use regular basil instead of Thai basil
- Add leftover shredded chicken to the finished broth instead of poaching raw chicken breasts (your broth won’t taste as rich, however)
How to Make Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup
- Soften the noodles. Unlike Italian pasta, the Chinese egg noodles are prepared by submerging them in boiling water and letting them sit (off the heat) for just 5 minutes. Drain the noodles very well and then set aside.
- Char the aromatics. You can char the shallot and ginger over the flame of a gas stove, or you can cook them in a dry skillet over high heat until well blackened. The outer layer is peeled off to prevent the broth from tasting bitter, but the aromatics will retain a deeply smoky flavor that adds tons of flavor to the Vietnamese soup. You’ll also need to heat the star anise and cinnamon stick to wake up their flavors.
- Simmer the broth. To give the chicken stock layers of flavor and make it taste like proper pho broth, it’s simmered for about 30 minutes with the charred aromatics, whole spices, fish sauce, salt, and sliced onion.
- Poach the chicken. While the broth simmers, add the chicken and cook for roughly 10 minutes, or until it’s cooked through and tender. Fish out the chicken and shred it once it’s cool enough to handle.
- Strain the broth. The aromatics have done their job, so you can strain out the onion and spices. I typically set a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl or pot for this.
- Finish and serve. Return the shredded chicken to the broth, stir in the cooked egg noodles and lime juice, then ladle into bowls and pile on the toppings.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 ounces dried thin Chinese egg noodles
- 2 shallots , peeled and kept whole
- 4- inch piece fresh ginger , cut lengthwise into 4 slices
- 2 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 medium yellow onion , halved from root to tip, then peeled
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 – 1 ½ pounds)
- 1 lime , juiced
Toppings
- 3 cups bean sprouts
- 4 green onions , chopped
- ½ cup Thai basil leaves
- ½ cup cilantro leaves , coarsely chopped
- 1 jalapeño , sliced
- crispy fried shallots , optional
- 1 lime , cut into wedges
Instructions
- Soften the noodles. Place 5 ounces dried thin Chinese egg noodles in boiling water and let stand for 5 minutes, drain, and set aside.
- Heat the aromatics to release their flavor. If you have a gas stove, char 4- inch piece fresh ginger slices and 2 shallots by poking with a fork and grilling over a gas flame. Or, place in a small skillet over high heat and cook until charred. Peel the blackened skin from the aromatics, and set aside. Heat the skillet over high, then stir-fry 2 star anise and 1 cinnamon stick until fragrant, for 30 seconds. Be careful not to burn them.
- Make the stock and cook the chicken. Add the roasted shallots, ginger, star anise, and cinnamon stick to a stockpot with 6 cups chicken stock, 2 cups water, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 medium yellow onion. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Cut 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts into 3-4 chunks each, then add to the broth and cook for 7-10 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the chicken and set aside until cool enough to shred. Strain the broth and discard the onion halves, star anise, and cinnamon stick.
- Add the chicken and noodles then serve with herbs. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot with juice of 1 lime, the egg noodles, and cook until warmed through. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve topped with bean sprouts, Thai basil, cilantro, green onion, jalapeño, lime wedges, and crispy shallots.
Notes
Nutrition
What to Serve on the Side
More Slurpable Asian-Inspired Soups
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