Chicken Pho with Daikon Noodles

Chicken Pho with Daikon Noodles

Apparently, the recipe for Chicken Pho that I posted back in December 2013 is missing. It...

Chicken Pho with Daikon Noodles

Apparently, the recipe for Chicken Pho that I posted back in December 2013 is missing. It appears that there was a technical error that deleted the recipe.

It’s a shame (and very alarming) that the recipe isn’t up anymore, because it was one of those “quick and easy” recipes that is spot-on with flavor.

Oh well. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise, because now, I’m sharing a brand new and improved recipe for one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes: pho.

Chicken Pho with Daikon Noodles

Actually, I have a killer recipe for a Shrimp Pho in my cookbook. Speaking of cookbook, have you preordered your copy yet?! Make sure if you do, you enter your purcahse information into this form – you’ll receive a bonus pack with 8 new recipes (4 from the book, 4 brand new not on the blog or the book) along with a month of weekly meal plans and shopping lists. Learn more here.

In that recipe headnote, I also make some corny jokes about the pronunciation of pho. Pho’s pronounced “fuh.” You know, like, “pho-gettaboutit.” Okay, I’ll stop. You’ll have to get the book and read the headnote!

Chicken Pho with Daikon Noodles

What I love about these kinds of recipes (mainly Asian noodle bowls) is that they’re so easily personalized to meet your expectations and preferences.

For example, this insanely delicious bowl of chicken pho: you can really top it with whatever suits you. Don’t like mung bean sprouts? Take them out! Like a little spice? Add some sriracha or chili garlic sauce! Want more crunch? Add some julienned (or spiralized!) carrots.

Chicken Pho with Daikon Noodles

And let’s talk about the drumsticks for a second. What is more fun than eating a bowl of healthy, delicious noodles while using your hands to eat a drumstick? How pho-n!

Many pho recipes involve toasting coriander seeds, using star anise and roasting the ginger and onions. This recipe, however, takes a shortcut on preparation but maximizes flavor!

Chicken Pho with Daikon Noodles

Why daikon noodles? Daikon is easy to spiralize and is light in flavor, so when you cook it in the pho broth, it absorbs all the flavors and the daikon infuses with the umami flavors of this pho!

Have you tried making pho? What’s your favorite type?

Nutritional Information & Recipe

Inspiralized

Chicken Pho with Daikon Noodles

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 1 ” piece of peeled ginger minced
  • 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 pound chicken breasts or thighs bone-in
  • 2 chicken drumsticks
  • 1 large daikon radish
  • 1 bunch scallions about 6 stalks
  • 1 jalapeno
  • 1 lime
  • 1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
  • ¼ cup cilantro
  • 1 cup mung bean sprouts

Instructions

  • Place a large pot over medium heat and add in the olive oil. Once oil heats, add in the onions and ginger. Let cook for 3-5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add in the water, broth and chicken and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
  • While chicken cooks, peel and spiralize the daikon radish. Also, dice the scallions. Also, thinly slice the jalapeno. Also, quarter the lime.
  • Remove the chicken and drumsticks and discard the skin from the chicken breasts and drumsticks and shred the chicken from the breast. Leave the drumstick intact. Return the bones from the chicken breast back into the pot and cook another 10-15 minutes, along with the fish sauce.
  • Add the shredded chicken and drumsticks back to the pot along with the daikon noodles and let noodles cook for 2-3 minutes or until cooked to your preference.
  • Stir in the scallions and ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with jalapeno, cilantro, mung bean sprouts and serve with lime wedges.
with love, Ali

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Recipe Rating




comments

  • This looks great! Love pho! I did pre-order your cookbook as a gift for my daughter-in-law. But this was before all the extra goodies were added. How can I get those?
    • Thank you! Enter your purchase information here: http://app.snapapp.com/Inspiralized1
  • Is it really 900 calories per serving?
    • ok - now showing 328. Thanks.
  • I love, love, love pho, but have been avoiding it because of the noodles. I'm so excited to try this, and now you've convinced me to buy your cookbook! Off to order it.
  • I am only asking this because i support you and am excited and happy for you.. Have you gotten many preorders for your cookbook? Are you allowed to say how many? If i am overstepping i apologize. As i mentioned, i am just anxious & happy for you so if you sold a bunch & inspiralized a whole lot more people it feels like a victory for not only you, but the whole inspiralized community as well. So just curious. I really want to try this recipe with daikon noodles but no where close to me sells those radishes. Bummer. But my search will continue!!!
  • This looks wonderful, but is sodium correct for 1 serving? Thank you for all your hard work, it is such a blessing!
  • I wasn't able to find daikon radish at my Whole Foods -- any tips on what might be a good substitute? Parsnips, maybe? Thanks!
    • You can use any type of radish, or try turnips!
  • I can't find Asian fish oil- can I leave it out or substitute something?
  • Is the fish sauce for garnish or does it go in the broth? I saw huge daikons at my local market and was really tempted to buy one. I might go back and get one now.
  • First time using daikon and found it to have a very pleasant taste, like a sweeter, milder, radish. It was very easy to spirilize, I ended up used 3 approximately 6" long daikon chunks. Did not think this was very "pho" like, definitely needs to have some more spices in it; I think adding some star anise would do wonders for the broth. As it stands it is essentially a quick chicken stock, with ginger. If I make it again I will definitely reduce the amount of liquid, perhaps trimming 2 cups from the recommended amount of chicken stock. Even after spirilizing what was probably more than the suggested amount of daikon I was still left with an obscene amount of liquid and no more chicken or noodles. The daikon did indeed soak up some of the delicious umami flavor and made for some very tasty mock noodles. I would strongly suggest that you do not skip the addition of lime juice, sprouts, cilantro and sriracha (or sambal). This did more than anything to add to the pho flavor. Will make pho with daikon noodles again but will utilize a different broth recipe.
  • I too preordered the book from Amazon before the goodies were offered. I clicked on the link that you provided to the other gal who did the samething. Unfortunately, it was no longer working. Any ideas how I too can take advantage of the offer? I have the first book, and I got one for my daughter as well. We both use them quite often. I ordered her the second book too. Thanks for all of these great ideas and for putting in the Weight Watcher Smart Points. Although i didn't see them for this soup. Thanks Again, Pam Curl
  • This looks wonderful! I love that the pho looks just like the real, authentic recipes you find online! The daikon noodles, however, are much better than the rice noodles used! So many vitamins and minerals in this vegetable without the extra insulin spike!
  • Made this tonight for my 8 year old and myself. I couldn't find daikon so used parsnip, which worked fine. I agree with a previous reviewer that there is too much liquid for the recipe and it is quite bland. I also consider 2c less of liquid would be appropriate. Fish sauce and ginger = tripled. I added the juice of 2 limes and sliced chile directly to the pot and think that is a good base to add more lime as preferred. Pho broth is after all quite nicely spiced from the beginning, you want to start with something that already has a good balance of salty-sweet-spicy-sour. Herbs - use at least double. I had cilantro & thai basil. With my changes I thought it was a great soup. My boy scarfed it up and gave it 11 points out of 10. However, he is a chicken drumstick lover and even he preferred the meat chopped up in the soup. "It gets juicier and tastier." There you have it.
  • I made this for dinner tonight (minus jalapeño and fish sauce). It is yummy. We do not like fish sauce and can’t handle jalapeños but it was still very tasty. The daikon makes perfect noodles.