Recipe: Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup (Pho Ga)

My mom LOVES to buy whole chickens for me. The only problem is that she is a bit excessive with it. She will out of nowhere call me up, tell me she is dropping off a chicken for me, and then all of a sudden, 3 whole chickens will show up at my door. But, it doesn't stop there. The next day, another chicken will show up. And the next day, another chicken is dropped off. And it won't stop until you firmly tell her that enough is enough.

As much as I should be grateful for all of the gifted chickens, I kind of get to a point where I just don't have enough space to store them.

Needless to say, my freezer is always full of whole chickens, which is perfect for making broth. This Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup (pho ga) recipe is one that my mom gave me. While it seems complicated to make, it is in fact very easy. It does take some time to make, but you can pretty much go on auto-pilot once you have everything cooking in the pot.

Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup (Pho Ga)
- flat rice noodles, fresh or dried
Stock
- 1 whole free-range chicken (4-5 lbs), skin and excess fat removed
- water
- 1/4 tsp of salt
- 5-7 Tbsp fish sauce
- 3 star anise
- 4-5 large onions, peeled and cut in half
- 2-3 pieces of ginger, approx 2 inches long with skin peeled

Garnish (All optional)
- fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- fresh green onion, finely chopped
- white vinegar with chopped birds eye chilli
- fresh white onion, cut into thin slices
- birds eye chilli
- fresh lime, cut into small wedges
- white pepper

Method
1. Char the onions and ginger on a bbq grill or stove top (on high heat) until all sides are charred. Approximately 1-3 minutes per side. Use tongs to rotate.

2. In a large pot (5.6L), fill 3/4 of the pot with water. Add the chicken, salt, onions, ginger and star anise, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for an hour. Add the fish sauce and let it simmer for another 1-2 hours. Technically, you are done once the chicken is cooked but the longer the better. I like to simmer my broth for a total of 3 hours. Add water as needed (the broth tends to evaporate while simmering).

3. Now you are ready to construct the soup and noodles. In a separate pot, cook the rice vermicelli noodles according to package instructions. If you are using dried rice vermicelli, it is best to soak the noodles in a large bowl of luke warm water for a few hours before cooking. This shortens the cooking time significantly.

4. Drain the noodles and place in a large soup bowl. Add hot broth over top of the noodles. Add chicken pieces and your garnishes of choice. Serve hot with a large soup spoon and chopsticks.

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Recipe: Dairy Free Parsley Pesto

Not everyone loves Basil. For those who don't, why deprive them of pesto? It's such a fresh and easy way to enjoy noodles and it requires absolutely no cooking!

I decided to try a parsley pesto to shake things up. Cheese seemed to be too heavy with parsley, so I cut that out entirely and added lemon juice. We've been substituting regular pasta for buckwheat noodles lately, and this pesto goes great with buckwheat. Give it a try if you're looking to do something a little different for your next meal.

This pesto recipe is good for approximately 300-350g of noodles.

Parsley Pesto
- 4 1/2 cups of fresh Italian parsley, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup of pine nuts, toasted
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp of lemon juice

Method
1. Combine all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend until it reaches a smooth consistency. Toss with hot pasta or buckwheat noodles and mix until evenly coated.

This pesto is best when used immediately. If you decide to keep it, store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

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Recipe: Soy Ginger Buckwheat Noodle Salad

Buckwheat is a great food to incorporate into your diet. It is a good source of protein, anti-oxidants, iron and zinc. People with high cholesterol or high blood pressure can benefit from buckwheat as it has been linked to lowering the risk of both conditions.

Contrary to popular belief, buckwheat is not a grain, but is in fact a plant that is related to rhubarb and sorrel.

This soy ginger buckwheat noodle salad is a great way to enjoy buckwheat this summer...especially when served chilled!

This recipe yields 4 servings.

Soy Ginger Buckwheat Noodle Salad
- 8oz dried buckwheat noodles
- 1 carrot, julienned
- 1/2 red pepper, seeded and julienned
- 2 scallions, sliced into thin strips
- 250 grams or 2 cups of frozen edamame in shell

For the Sauce
- 3 Tbsp sweet soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp water
- 1 tsp of palm sugar
- 1/4 tsp of sesame oil
- 2 1/2 tsp of sherry vinegar
- 1 small nob of ginger (approx 1inch x 1inch), grated with juice
- 1 red birds eye chile, finely chopped  (optional)

Method
1. Cook buckwheat noodles according to package instructions and then rinse with cold water.  

2. Cook the edamame as per package instructions. Discard the shell and set aside.  

3. Combine all of the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and mix well. In another bowl, combine the buckwheat noodles, edamame, carrot, red pepper and scallions. Drizzle the sauce over top of the noodle salad and mix until sauce is evenly distributed. Serve immediately or serve chilled.

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Persian Spinach and Noodle Soup (Ash-e Reshteh)

This spinach noodle soup is my secret weapon to staying healthy. When I'm not eating out, I make sure I eat damn well, and this soup is one of my default dishes. This soup is likely the first thing I make when I return from my travels. I make a huge honkin pot that will last me days, and this is how I 'detox' from my travels.

To some, this soup will look extremely unappetizing, but if you keep an open mind, you'll learn that it is delicious. What's best is that you get everything your body craves: protein, vegetables, fiber, carbohydrates...

I recently received an email from a reader asking for the recipe for this soup (after seeing this old post), so here it is. Good luck and I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.
This recipe yields 8-10 servings.

Persian Spinach and Noodle Soup (Ash-e Reshteh)
- 11 oz, 312g package of fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 6 scallions, roughly chopped
- 2 cups of coriander, roughly chopped and loosely packed
- 2 Tbsp dried mint
- 10 cups of water, or broth of choice
- 1/3 cup of dried chickpeas
- 1/3 cup of dried red kidney beans
- 1/3 cup of dried navy beans
- 3/4 cup of dried green lentils
- 3 small onions, finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 2 cups of dried Persian noodles (reshteh)
- 1 tsp of turmeric powder
- salt and pepper
- extra virgin olive oil

Method
1. Steam the chickpeas, kidney beans, and navy beans. To do this, boil 2 cups of salted water in a small pot. Turn off the heat, pour in the beans, and leave the lid on for at least 40 minutes. Drain excess water.

2. In a large pot, sautee the onions and garlic with extra virgin olive oil, turmeric, and a dash of salt. Add 10 cups of water (or broth), and bring to a boil. Add spinach, coriander, scallions, and mint. Simmer for 45 minutes

3. Add the steamed beans. Continue to simmer for 20 minutes. Add the dried lentils. Continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Add the noodles and simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Serve hot. If you feel your soup is not thick enough, sift some all purpose flour into the soup.

Once you get comfortable with making this soup, you can go ahead and use any combination of greens and beans you want. For the greens, keep in mind that the majority should be spinach.

If you don't want to spend the time to prepare the dried beans, you can always used canned beans which takes a lot less time. If that is the case, add the beans near the end of the recipe so that they don't overcook.

Persians like to add a hint of sourness to this soup. An option is to stir in a bit of plain yogurt or whey right before serving.

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Asian Glass Noodle Salad

It amazes me how some people can throw a huge dinner party and make it seem like it was a cakewalk. That is exactly what my cousin did. She had a house warming party, and cooked enough food for 40 people. We were only a party of 20, but not only was everyone stuffed, but there was enough food for everyone's dinner the next night.

It was undoubtedly impressive. When I asked her how long it took to prepare everything, she coolly said a few hours. Everyone was stunned. We officially declared her super mom.

She prepared everything from chicken to pork to beef to seafood. One dish I particularly liked was a cold Asian glass noodle salad. It was inspired by Korean japchae, which is a dish consisting of sesame oil, dangmyeon, and veggies.

Dangmyeon is a clear noodle made of sweet potato starch. It has a similar taste to Asian rice noodle, but I find it is less starchier. Dangmyeon can be found in the noodle section of most Asian grocery stores.

Here is my rendition of my cousin's Asian glass noodle salad. This recipe yields 6-10 servings.

Asian Glass Noodle Salad
- 500g of Dangmyeon (cellophane noodles made with sweet potato starch)
- 2 medium carrots, cut into match sticks
- 3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 4 cups of bean sprouts
- 4 cups of napa cabbage, roughly chopped
- 10 dried shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced into long pieces
- 1 cup of cilantro, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/8 tsp of sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

Sauce for Noodles
- 1/4 tsp white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp of mushroom flavored dark soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp of soy sauce
- 1 tsp of sesame oil

Method
1. Soak the shiitake mushrooms for at least 2 hours in lukewarm water. Wring the water out of the mushrooms, and slice them thinly (approx 1/8 inch thick). Set aside.

2. Stir fry the veggies. Start by heating the garlic, on high heat, with the olive oil for approx 30 seconds. Add in the scallions, carrots, celery, shiitake mushrooms, 1/4 tsp of the sugar, and 1 Tbsp of oyster sauce and continue to stir fry for about 4-5 minutes. Add in the napa cabbage, bean sprouts, and the rest of the oyster sauce, and stir fry for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.

3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the dangmyeon noodles for 7-10 minutes. Drain the water, and rinse the noodles in cold water. Set aside.

4. Create the sauce for noodles. Combine the vinegar, sugar, dark soy sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil in a bowl and mix until the sugar dissolves. In a large serving bowl, combine the noodles with the sauce and ensure that it is evenly distributed. Add in the stir fried veggies, fresh cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds. Mix well and serve.

This dish can be served warm or cold. You can also add meat to your stir fry, but I'm trying to eat less meat these days.

I'm heading to San Diego next week. After that, I'll be back in Ottawa for a few days, and then I'm off to Sydney, Australia....woo hah! Can't wait to see my darling husband! It's been way too long.

To make sure you aren't too lonely, I'll be posting some of my overdue San Diego posts next week. Tah for now.

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