Adapted from The Big Book of Noodles
Try this Pho Ga after yoga for a light meal that’ll thaw your bones after trudging home through rain, slush or snow. Pile the bowls high with greens and garnishes and be sure to serve with a large platter of bonus toppings – basil, lime, peppers and more – just like they do at your favourite Vietnamese restaurant.
If this is your first encounter with bok choy – we expect it’ll be a new favourite. It’s one of many varieties of Chinese cabbage and belongs to the super healthy Brassica family. Packed full of vitamin C, A and fibre, it’s easy to add to stir-fries and toss into soups.
Serves 2-3 as a main or 5-6 as a starter
Ingredients
5-6 small red shallots, peeled
2 medium yellow onions, cut into small squares
3 inch piece of ginger cut into 1 cm squares
2 litres chicken stock
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp agave syrup (or cane sugar)
several handfuls of baby bok choy
several handfuls of bean sprouts or pea shoots
250-300g flat rice noodles (use fresh if possible, but dried ok!)
2 medium to large chicken breasts, blanched in boiling water until cooked (about 6-8 minutes), and cut into thin slices
2 green onions, finely chopped for garnish
fresh cilantro for garnish
Method
1. In a large pot, sauté the shallots, onions and ginger until light brown. Add the stock and bring mixture to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat, add fish sauce, sea salt and agave (or sugar) and simmer for 1 hour. Next, strain the soup, keeping the broth and composting the onions and ginger.
3. Assemble each bowl first with cooked rice noodles then several slices of chicken. Pour broth overtop and finish with greens, sprouts, green onion and cilantro.
4. Serve with an appropriate array of utensils – you’ll likely require chopsticks and a spoon!
