Instant Pot Pho Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup)

Poultry, Soups, Vietnamese

Cook Time: 1 hr 25 mins Servings: Servings 4 Source: pressurecookrecipes.com

Ingredients

Broth:
½ piece star anise
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
½ cinnamon stick
4 cloves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions (one yellow, one white), peeled and halved
13 grams ginger , unpeeled & cut into long strips
1 small bunch fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove , crushed
15 grams yellow rock sugar or 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
8 cups cold water
1 (roughly 3 ~ 4lbs) good quality whole free range chicken (or 3.5lbs drumsticks + thighs)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon fine table salt + more to taste

Noodles:
medium banh pho (flat rice noodles), soaked in lightly salted hot water for 18 - 25 minutes

Garnishes:
1/2 small white onion , thinly sliced
Fresh cilantro , leafy part
1 - 2 stalks green onion , finely chopped
A touch of freshly ground black pepper
Optional: Hard boiled quail eggs  (why?  this isn’t ramen…)

Herb Platter:
Bean sprouts (40g per person)
1 lime, cut into 6 wedges

Optional:
Mint
Thai chili pepper
Thai basil
Hoisin sauce
Sriracha

Directions

Toast Spices:
Sauté the star anise, coriander seeds, cinnamon stick, and cloves in the pressure cooker for ~2mins, until fragrant.  Remove the toasted spices, put them in a sachet, then put them aside.
Char Onions and Ginger:
Set the Instant Pot to Sauté Medium, until it says HOT.  Coat the bottom of the pot with oil. Carefully place the onions, flat side down, and the ginger pieces in the pressure cooker. Char without touching them for 4 mins. Add in the crushed garlic & stir for a minute, until fragrant.
Pressure Cook Chicken:
Carefully add in the chicken & pour the cold water around it.  Make sure the chicken is at least 90% submerged into the liquid.
Close the lid and pressure cook at High Pressure for 10 minutes + 20 minutes Natural Release. After 20 minutes, vent remaining steam and open the lid carefully.
Prepare Garnishes:
While the chicken is cooking, thinly slice the small white onion and place in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes, to reduce the pungency. Prepare the remaining garnish as described in the ingredients list.
Prepare Banh Pho (Noodles):
When the pressure cooker starts natural releasing, prepare the dried Banh Pho noodles according to the manufacture’s directions.  Some are submerged in hot water, and some require boiling.  Once the Banh Pho are cooked through, drain them and run them under cold tap water to stop the cooking process.
Strain Chicken Broth:
Transfer the chicken to a large mixing bowl filled with cold water. Strain the chicken broth through a fine mesh strainer and remove the fat with a fat separator or skim it off with a ladle.
Season Chicken Broth:
Bring the chicken broth back to a boil over medium heat (Instant Pot: press Saute button). Taste the chicken broth and adjust the seasoning accordingly by adding more salt. It will need quite a bit. Once the chicken has cooled enough to touch, debone and serve in small pieces.
Serve: Place cooked Banh Pho and chicken pieces in a large bowl. Garnish with white onion slices, chopped green onions, fresh cilantro (leafy part), hard boiled quail eggs (optional) and some freshly ground black pepper. Pour in boiling chicken broth and serve it piping hot.
We served our Instant Pot Pho Ga with a side plate of Bean Sprouts, Lime Wedges, Thai Basil, Peppermint Leaves, and Thai Chili Pepper.

Nutrition