While The Weather Outside Is Still Frightful... Chicken Pho

Winter has a tradition of hanging on a week or so longer than it needs to in D.C. In fact, last year March was the month in which we recorded the most snow. Last Thursday we got 8 inches of snow, so who knows what the rest of the month will hold. In times like this stew is normally the way to go, but with most of us being OVER winter and heavy foods I'm thinking of a hybrid; something that cures me of my winter blues while also pushing me forward to spring. It's also a soup that can help you clear out the refrigerator of all of the extra veggies or herbs that you may have before they go bad.

On The Menu Today: Chicken Pho...

Chicken Pho

I won't bother waxing poetic on the benefits, taste and sexiness of this soup, I'll let the pictures do the talking for me. This is the perfect bridge to spring 2015 so cook it, eat it and enjoy it...

Pulled Chicken

Prep Time:  3 Minutes

Cooking Time: 30- 45 Minutes 

Oven Temp: 425 degrees

Ingredients 

• Chicken Breast (1 per person) 
• Lemongrass (1/4 stalk) 
• Lemon (1 each)
• Garlic (1 Tbs)
• Bay Leaf (2 each)
• Chicken Stock (1 cup) 
• Water (1/2 cup)

Braising Chicken Breast

Pulled Chicken

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Next start off by drying off the chicken breast and searing it in a pan on high heat until a golden crust develops on each side of the chicken. This should take about 4 minutes (2 on each side). Place it in a deep baking dish for braising. Add the other ingredients in a pot to bring to a boil then pour the liquid over the chicken, cover and place this in the oven to cook for 30-45 minutes. Once cooked, take out of the dish an set aside to cool for pulling apart. Reserve the braising liquid as it will be added to the soup base later in the recipe.

Pho Soup Base & Noodles
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cooking Time: 1 Hour
Stove Temp: Boil Then Simmer

Ingredients

• Chicken Stock (64 Oz) 
• Sweet Onion (1 each) 
• Cinnamon Stick (1 each) 
• Star Anise (1 each) 
• Ginger (1 inch stalk)
• Lemongrass (1 stalk)
• Garlic (1 Tbs) 
• Olive Oil (1 Tbs)
• Lime zest  (1 tsp) 
• Salt & Pepper (TT) 

Start out by slicing the onion thinly, cutting some of the ginger into slices and others into chunks and adding the other dry ingredients to the pan along with the olive oil for a quick saute (this brings out oils in the spices) and finally adding the chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Add the strained braising liquid to the soup base and then salt to taste.

For the noodles, simply boil water and add the boiled water to a bowl with the noodles and cover to allow to steep for 10 minutes.

Quick Saute

Soup Base

Glass Noodles

Condiments & Additions

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cooking Time: N/A

Stove Temp: N/A

Ingredients

• Shredded Carrots
• Basil 
• Sweet Onions (thinly sliced) 
• Red & Green Jalapenos
• Green Onions 
• Lime Wedges 
• Cilantro 
• Mung Bean Sprouts 
• Sriracha
• Fish Sauce 
• Hoisin Sauce 

Fresh Throw Ins

Sriracha, Fish Sauce & Hoisin Sauce

Extra Thrown Ins

• Savoy Cabbage (whatever you have) 
• Straw Mushrooms (1 can) 

Savoy Cabbage: diced and sauteed

Straw Mushrooms: sauteed

Start off by dicing the cabbage and adding a Tbs of oil to a pan or wok and sauteing for 3- 5 minutes or until the cabbage starts to caramelize . Add salt and set aside as an extra condiment. Do the exact same thing for the mushrooms.

To build the soup start by getting an over-sized bowl and placing a handful of noodles and shredded chicken, mushrooms and cabbage into the bowl. Next bring the soup base to a boil then add it to the over-sized bowl. Next add the condiments (herbs & veggies) before finally adding the sauces. Eat with chopsticks and drink the broth by tilting the bowl. This is a recipe that is sure to chase away any cold, along with the blues that come with an ongoing, never ending winter.  Bon Appétit...