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Pho ga in serving bowl with condiments.
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4.92 from 12 votes

Instant Pot Chicken Pho Noodle Soup

Classic pho ga, Vietnamese chicken noodle soup made easy in the pressure cooker.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 380kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 large onion, peeled and halved
  • 1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled, thickly sliced and bruised
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 1 star anise pod
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1 1-inch piece cinnamon stick
  • 1 cardamom pod, lightly smashed
  • 6 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on (can use 6-8, depending on size)
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 small fuji apple, peeled, diced
  • ½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
  • 2 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rock sugar (or rock candy)
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 pkg (14-oz.) Bahn Pho flat rice stick noodles
  • For serving: Sriracha sauce, sambal oelek, hoisin sauce, bean sprouts, fresh herbs like Thai basil, cilantro and/or mint, jalapeno slices, lime wedges

Instructions

  • Prepare pho noodles.  Place in large bowl and cover with boiling water for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to loosen up.  Set aside.
  • Heat oil in insert in Instant Pot on sauté setting until hot.  Add halved onions and ginger, cut side down, and cook without moving, until well charred, about 5 minutes.  Add spices (cloves, coriander, star anise, fennel, cinnamon stick and cardamom) and cook 1 more minute until fragrant.  Turn off sauté function.
  • Add water to the pot and then carefully add the chicken, diced apple, chopped cilantro, fish sauce, rock sugar and salt.  Seal the pressure cooker and cook at high pressure for 15 minutes.
  • When done, turn off Instant Pot and let pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, release any remaining pressure manually and carefully open lid.  Remove chicken thighs to plate and cool slightly.
  • Pour broth into cheesecloth-lined strainer (or fine mesh strainer) into a clean pot, discard solids.  Skim any scum and some fat, if necessary, leaving some surface fat on the broth.  Bring to a steady simmer on the stove.  Taste for seasonings, adding more salt, pepper and/or fish sauce, if needed.
  • Remove skin from chicken and meat from bones, shred.  Prepare soup bowls; put a serving of strained noodles in bottom of each bowl, top with some chicken, then ladle hot broth over top.  Serve immediately with condiments, letting each person choose toppings as they wish.  Happy slurping!

Notes

  • I like to use chicken thighs, but you can also use a whole chicken, no larger than 4 pounds and reduce the amount of water to 7 cups.  Be sure to stay under the maximum fill line on the pot.  Shred desired amount of chicken and save the rest for another use, or leftovers.
  • I have not had to skim fat from the broth, if you have an excessive amount, then skim some of it off.  But you want surface droplets of chicken fat on the broth, so don't get rid of all of it.
  • I find soaking the rice noodles in boiling water (for 30 - 45 minutes) to work just fine but you could follow package instructions, or soak and then cook noodles for just a couple of minutes.  Be careful, boil too long and they become gummy!

Nutrition

Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 1765mg | Potassium: 413mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 220IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2mg