Chicken Pho with a Grain-Free Twist

My favorite part of pho is the plate of vegetables and herbs to put on top. Both gluten and rice cause problems for me so eating pho in a restaurant is challenging. I created this gluten and rice-free twist so I could enjoy the dish at home.

Sometimes I make the dish with homemade stock, but when I don’t have time, I buy a high-quality bone broth with no preservatives, sweeteners or artificial colorings and use that. I often use a mixture of half broth and half water. You can make this recipe vegetarian by substituting vegetable stock and tofu or shrimp for the chicken stock and shredded chicken.

Ingredients

Soup

6 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock, a mixture of stock and water

4 1-inch pieces of fresh ginger root, washed

3 whole star anise

2 cinnamon sticks

2 tablespoons coconut aminos

2 tablespoons fish sauce

4 whole cloves

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

4 yams grated with a vegetable peeler to make “noodles” (you can buy a pound of these already grated or substitute zucchini noodles)

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast steamed and shredded

Toppings

4 scallions chopped

1 handful mung beans (bean sprouts)

1 lime cut in wedges

A handful of cilantro, mint, and basil or Thai basil

Season with Siracha if desired

 

Directions

Start with steaming the chicken.

In a large pot, place the ginger, anise, cinnamon, cloves, and coriander seeds. Heat for a moment so the spices become aromatic. Don’t let them burn.

Add the stock/water, coconut aminos, and fish sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook the soup covered for 30 minutes.

While the soup is cooking, wash and prepare the topping plate.

After 30 minutes use a strainer or spoon to remove the herbs from the soup. Add the chicken and sweet potato noodles to the soup and let it cook until the noodles are soft, about 10 minutes.

To serve, ladle the soup making sure to get chicken and noodles into bowls. Add toppings, stir and enjoy.