02/09/2025
🇻🇳 Having just come back from Vietnam, I can’t stop thinking about the food – it was absolutely delicious.
One of the things we’ve really been missing is the pho that’s available on every street corner, so I’ve had a go at making my own.
Pho is brilliant for midlife women
* Supports bones, skin & joints – the long-simmered broth provides minerals and amino acids that help maintain strong bones and support the structure of skin, joints and connective tissue.
* Great for energy & hormones – chicken is a high-quality source of protein to support muscle, mood and balanced blood sugars.
* Gentle on digestion – warm broth and aromatic spices make it soothing and easy to digest. The amino acids in slow-cooked chicken broth may also help to support the lining of the gut, making it a nourishing choice when your digestion needs a little TLC.
✨ Homemade Chicken Pho Recipe ✨
Ingredients
* 1 whole chicken
* 2 star anise
* 2 tsp fennel seeds
* 2 cinnamon sticks
* 2 tsp cumin seeds
* ½ tsp cloves
* 1 tsp whole cardamom
* 1 large onion, charred
* 1 large piece of ginger, charred
* Fish sauce, to taste
Toppings
Fresh coriander, Thai basil, bean sprouts, finely chopped chilli (optional), cooked brown rice noodles
Method
1. Place chicken, onion, ginger and spices in a large pan and cover with water.
2. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until chicken is done (45–60 mins).
3. Remove chicken, shred the meat, and return the skin and bones to the pot.
4. Simmer for another 30 mins, skim if needed, then strain the broth. Tip: my first attempt was a bit watery (I think my pan was too big!), so I let it reduce for a further 30 minutes – and it made the flavour so much richer.
5. Season with fish sauce (to taste).
6. Serve noodles, chicken, broth and toppings in bowls.
