Homemade Pho Soup & Vietnamese Banh Mi Wraps

Elizabeth Eats

Once you've tried Pho there's no going back. In this episode, Elizabeth teaches you how to supercharge this delicious Vietnamese chicken soup by using the same principles of making overnight bone broth with Pho-inspired spices. The outcome? Incredibly collagen-rich Pho free of MSG and other unhealthy ingredients. As if that isn't enough, she also shows a much healthier spin on a Banh Mi sandwich - the popular Vietnamese sandwich taking over restaurant menus across the world. This episode will teach you how to bring Vietnamese flavors to your own kitchen. No takeout required.

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HOMEMADE BONE BROTH PHO (VIETNAMESE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP)

Makes: approximately 5 quarts of stock or 12 servings of soup

Ingredients

(use organic ingredients where possible)

• 2 full raw bone-in chicken leg quarters
• 2 bone-in chicken breasts (or one whole raw chicken)
• 3 carrots, cleaned and roughly chopped
• 1 white or yellow onion, cut in half
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1-2 inches ginger, chopped
• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 4-6 whole cloves
• 5 whole cardamom pods
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 3 whole star anise
• ½ tsp whole black peppercorns
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1-2 tsp fish sauce to taste (optional)

For Rice Noodles

• Brown rice noodles (recommended)
• Cilantro
• Jalapeno
• Bean sprouts
• Green onions (optional)
• Chicken meat from the broth, if desired

Directions

1. Add chicken pieces to a 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Clean and cut carrots, onion, garlic, and ginger.
3. Remove most of the green part of the lemongrass, leaving approximately 4 inches of the thicker white stalk. Score it vertically with a sharp knife and smash it just enough to loosen it.
4. Add all vegetables, spices and apple cider vinegar to the pot; reserve the fish sauce (if using) until the end.
5. Cover with purified water, until about ½ inch from the top, and set to high.
6. After about 2-3 hours, remove the chicken meat from the bones, then add the chicken bones and skin back to the crock.
7. Continue to cook at a low simmer at least 5 hours or up to 24 hours. Once cooked, add 1 teaspoon fish sauce.
8. Strain the broth through a colander over a large heat safe bowl. Then, add the strained broth back to the crock.
9. Add 1 tablespoon salt to the pho broth; season to taste.
10. In a separate heat-safe bowl, pour boiling water over your rice noodles. Let sit for 5 minutes, until soft. Drain and rinse.

Note**

• It's best to cook the noodles separately before adding to the broth to prevent them from creating too much starch in the broth.
• Store chicken meat in a covered container in the refrigerator. You can use this chicken in your pho or another recipe.
• To serve: Ladle broth into individual bowls. Add rice noodles, cilantro, jalapeno, bean sprouts and chicken as desired. Sliced green onions are also a great addition.

CHICKEN BANH MI LETTUCE WRAPS

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

(use organic ingredients where possible)

• 8 romaine lettuce leaves or other lettuce cups
• 2 cups Quick-Pickled Banh Mi Veggies
• 2 cups shredded or diced chicken (from homemade Pho recipe or any other recipe)
• ½ cup veganaise or healthy mayonnaise
• ¼ tsp salt, or more to taste
• Fresh cilantro for garnish

QUICK-PICKLED BANH MI VEGGIES

Ingredients

(use organic ingredients where possible)

• 1 large carrot, julienned
• ½ cucumber, sliced very thin on the diagonal (either by hand or on a mandoline)
• ½ daikon radish, julienned
• ½ jalapeno, sliced (remove the seeds if you don't like as much spice)
• ½ bunch green onions, sliced, tops removed For the Brine
• ½ cup distilled white vinegar
• ½ cup water
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 2 pieces ginger (1")
• 1 tbsp coconut sugar

Directions

1. Simmer brine ingredients over medium heat for 10 minutes.
2. Prep veggies by making them into thin, julienned strips. You can do this by hand, or with the aid of a julienne tool or a mandoline.
3. Add veggies to a heat-safe mixing bowl.
4. Pour hot brining liquid on top of the veggies.
5. Refrigerate for 20 minutes for a quick-pickle effect.
6. Make the chicken salad by mixing the chicken, mayo and a few tablespoons of the quick pickle brine in a bowl.
7. Add a dash of sea salt and season to taste.

Assembly

1. Arrange the lettuce cups on a plate.
2. Spoon in 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken salad.
3. Arrange the quick-pickled veggies on top, as desired
4. Top with fresh cilantro. Enjoy!