Bone Broth Pho Chicken Soup

Through a lot of trial and error, I finally got my own pho soup recipe just right. It is seriously mind-numbingly delicious, and has lots of health benefits! I love to make it in huge batches and freeze for later.
Bone Broth Pho Chicken Soup | Real Food RN

When I was pregnant with my son, I ate Vietnamese Pho Chicken Soup from a local restaurant every Saturday night, without fail. They knew me there, all I had to do was call in a take-out order for Kate and they knew the rest! Yeah, that’s embarrassing! But it seriously is mind-numbingly delicious!

We are not much for eating out at restaurants because you never know what’s in your food (although this restaurant has some high-quality stuff!). But I was determined to come up with this recipe on my own. Wow, did I go through a lot of trial and error before I got it just right. But now, I have created something amazing that I make in huge batches and freeze. My husband begs for this stuff! To make it even better, it’s actually really good for you.

Health benefits of Bone Broth Pho Chicken Soup:

  • Gut-healing properties of bone broth (to learn more about that, read THIS POST)
  • Gut-healing and anti-inflammatory properties of ginger
  • The capsaicin in the peppers are anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial (making this soup ideal for when you are under the weather)
  • Garlic, well garlic is just plain amazing: antibacterial, antiviral, heart protective, cancer preventive, and the list goes on and on
  • Cilantro binds to heavy metals and removes them from the body
  • Basil is anti-inflammatory and full of antioxidants

….do I need to continue? This is good stuff people! Trust me, I’m a nurse (wink, wink).

Bone Broth Pho Chicken Soup

Bone Broth Pho Chicken Soup

Through a lot of trial and error, I finally got my own pho soup recipe just right. It is seriously mind-numbingly delicious, and has lots of health benefits! I love to make it in huge batches and freeze for later.

Ingredients

  • 1 large whole organic free-range chicken (we use Butcher Box meat)
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
  • 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 medium sweet onion
  • 3-inch chunk of ginger, sliced
  • 1/2 bunch organic cilantro, chopped with the stems trimmed off and set aside
  • 2 Tbsp whole coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp whole cloves
  • 1 tsp anise seed
  • 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
  • 4 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 bag kelp noodles
  • 1 bunch organic basil
  • 1-2 cups organic bean sprouts
  • 4 organic red Fresnos, sliced thin
  • Chili sauce (to taste preference)
  • 2 limes, cut into wedges

Instructions

    1. In a crockpot, add the chicken and cover with filtered water until the chicken is submerged.
    2. Turn on high and cook 4-6 hours, until a meat thermometer reads 180°F when inserted into the chicken.
    3. Remove chicken from crockpot but do NOT dump the water.
    4. Place chicken on a baking sheet and clean off the meat.
    5. Put the chicken meat in a container in the fridge for later.
    6. Add the bones, skin, and carcass back into the crockpot.
    7. Add water to 1.5″ from the top and add apple cider vinegar and garlic (this is essential because the AVC pulls nutrients from the bones and deposits them into the broth, do not omit this step!).
    8. Cook on low for 12-24 hours, longer is better to get a mineral-rich broth.
    9. During the last hour of cooking add the onion, ginger, cilantro stems, and spices.
    10. Cook for one more hour.
    11. Strain the broth using a metal mesh strainer inside of a large cooking bowl, toss the carcass and spices.
    12. Wash out the crockpot, there might be a layer of scum around the top.
    13. Back into the crockpot add the broth, cooked chicken from the fridge, coconut sugar, fish sauce, chopped cilantro leaves, and kelp noodles.
    14. Heat on low until it reaches the temperature you desire.
    15. To serve, garnish with basil leaves, bean sprouts, Fresnos, chili sauce, and lime wedges.

Notes

I make large batches of the spiced broth and freeze it in large mason jars, leaving 2″ headroom in the jars to allow for expansion when it freezes. Then, when I want this soup, all I have to do is heat it up, add chicken and the garnishes and we are ready to eat!

I have gotten many emails and questions about ordering bone broth online! I finally found a resource for that and wanted to include it here: “Kettle and Fire” CLICK HERE

 CLICK HERE to Pin this Recipe

Bone Broth Pho Chicken Soup | Real Food RN
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19 Replies to “Bone Broth Pho Chicken Soup”

  1. I made this soup last night and it was a big hit with all except my youngest, who said it was weird. The flavor was delicious and a bit complex. I loved all the different flavors coming through. Thanks for a great recipe.

  2. Fabulous recipe for Pho soup, thank you! Does it lose much if you leave out the coconut sugar? Coconut sugar is just as bad as cane sugar….virtually the same thing and makes the soup non-Paleo….

  3. I just made this recipe and it turned out PERFECT! Even my husband, who was skeptical, loved it. Thank you for sharing your recipe! I am now off to making my 2nd batch!

    1. Yay! So glad to hear it. I love it soooo much. You can freeze the broth in large glass jars if you leave room at the top. I do it all the time!

  4. I just made a batch of broth using chicken/bones/garlic/carrots,celery, with a double dash of italian herbs. Now I see your recipe. Is it too late to go back and add the ingredients that I missed out on by not seeing your recipe first??

    1. Nope you can always add them in and re-heat. Just let the spices cook for a while. The celery might have a overpowering flavor however.

  5. Hi. Can you taste the ACV? I’m Vietnamese and love trying new versions of pho but adding vinegar to a pho broth is definitely “outside of the box” for me. But def willing to try for the nutritional value.

    1. It’s definitely not a huge flavor, someone very sensitive could maybe taste it. You could also try using lemon juice. You just need an acid. Lime juice would fit the flavor profile.

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