Crock Pot Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup (Pho)

If my mom knew that I made Vietnamese chicken pho in a crock pot, her face would show disapproval.  Previously, I posted a recipe to make pho the traditional way, and it was the recipe from my mom’s restaurant in Vietnam. This soup has become famous all over the world, but the traditional way of making this soup means taking all day and all night to flavor the broth, especially making beef pho. However, why should I not use a crock pot because it cooks slowly, the initial water level of the broth made in a crock pot usually remains nearly unchanged, and the spices can slowly infuse the broth?  In our busy lifestyles, the crock pot is a treasure. Anyway, Sorry Mom!  I will make chicken pho in a crock pot today. Chicken pho is easier than beef pho because the meat cooks faster. My family prefers chicken over beef. Mom always said that good soup starts with good broth. So this recipe will be divided into two parts. Part one is making the broth in a crock pot, and part two is to flavor the broth and turn simple chicken broth into an authentic, wonderful Vietnamese chicken pho. It is up to the cook first to make the broth and have it ready for part two or make the broth on a weekend while out shopping and finish part two later. Here we go.

Ingredients:
Broth ingredients:
10 chicken drumsticks or 4 lbs. chicken parts or whole chicken
1 onion, quartered
2 celery stalks, cut into 3 inch lengths
2 carrots cut into 2 inch lengths
1 piece fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, peeled and slightly mashed
4 inches of daikon
A quarter of jicama
Fresh pineapple, a few slices*
1 Fuji apple, quartered
1 pear, quartered
2 oz. rock sugar
Salt to taste
The chicken pho ingredients:
3 drumsticks**
2 chicken breasts
Spices:
6 star anise
3 cloves
1 stick cinnamon about 2 inches in length
2 tbs coriander seeds
2 tsp  fennel seeds
4 shallots
2 inches fresh ginger
1 onion
Bunch of green onions, cilantro
Serve with:
Fresh banh pho, rice noodles
Lime, chili, Hoisin sauce, Thai sriracha hot sauce
Bean sprouts, Thai basil

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to boil and add chicken. Boil for 1 or 2 minutes. This process will clear the broth. Dump the chicken into a large colander and wash with cold water.

In a 6 or 8 quart crock pot, place all the ingredients and the chicken back to the crock pot. Fill it up with water and turn to slow for 6 to 8 hours or to high for 3 to 5 hours.

Remove the broth and drain.
Place shallots, ginger, and onion in a baking tray and bake in a preheated oven set to 350° for 20 minutes or until charred.

This process can be done easily over the burner. Remove the burnt shallots and onion skins.
In a frying pan, dry fry the cloves, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cinnamon stick, and star anise for 2 minutes or until the aroma fills the kitchen (be careful not to burn these spices).

 

Place all the spices in a cheesecloth and tie them, invest in a tea infusion, or like in the photo below that is the best to make Pho.

After draining the broth from the crock pot, clean the crock pot well and pour the broth back into the crock pot (probably about 14 to 16 cups). Add all the spices ingredients to the broth. Place the green onions and cilantro on the top of the broth.

 Turn to high for one and half  hour. Remove and discard the spices and green onions and cilantro (use a slot spoon to clear all to make sure the broth is clean). Now the pho is ready to serve.

**Before the chicken broth is done cooking, remove some of the drumsticks and add chicken breasts into the broth and remove them in hour later.
To serve:
Bring a pot of water to boil and plunge the fresh noodles in boiling water for a few seconds. Place in the bottom of serving bowl.

Slice chicken drumsticks and breasts and place on top.

Slice white onion and chopped green onions for garnish. Ladle hot broth over the noodles and meat. Top with white onions, green onions and cilantro. Serve on the side the Thai basil, lime, hoisin sauce and sriracha hot sauce.

 

This is not the traditional way making pho, but it is an easy, shortcut way to have a good pho at home. It is very good and easy to achieve. For quick pho this is the recipe to follow.

*The pineapple is another trick that I learned from my mom to make the broth.