Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup

Vietnamese chicken noodle soup with ramen noodles, ginger, bok choy, and fresh sprouts. It’s such a delicious take on chicken soup.

We love to serve it with jalapeño peppers, green onions, and cilantro.

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Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup

There’s no doubt that chicken noodle soup will always be my favorite. So belly-warming good and apparently cures a cold. But if you’re looking for a way to change up your soup game then you got to try this Vietnamese chicken noodle soup. 

It’s my quick and easy version of pho soup. Made with simple ingredients and easy steps. Such as chicken, bean sprouts, bok choy, and a ton of fresh herbs. It’s served ladled over the cooked ramen noodles with jalapeño peppers, green onions, and cilantro leaves.

This soup is incredibly easy to make and will satisfy your craving for a bowl of pho. The key to this chicken pho soup is all in the broth. You want to use good quality chicken broth, either homemade or store-bought. I love the Pacific Foods Organic Chicken Stock.

Ingredients for Vietnamese Chicken Soup

You’ll need the following ingredients to make chicken pho:

• Ramen noodles
• Chicken tenders
• Limes
• Soy sauce
• Fish sauce
• Fresh ginger
• Garlic
• Paprika
• Sesame oil
• Chicken stock
• Bean sprouts
• Bok choy
• To serve: jalapeño peppers, green onions, and cilantro

Substitutions:

Chicken – I like using chicken tenders in this soup because they’re so easy to work with and cook fairly quickly. But boneless, skinless chicken breast can be swapped out for the tenders.

Bean Sprouts – If your supermarket carries fresh bean sprouts then definitely take advantage of them. They’re going to be fresher and much tastier.

Boy Choy – Spinach is a good swap for the boy choy. You can add a little more spinach than the 3 cups since spinach cooks down so much.

How to Make Vietnamese Chicken Pho Soup

• Step 1: Prep the Chicken – first prepare the chicken by combining it with fresh lime juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, ginger, garlic, and paprika. Toss it around and let it stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Katya’s TIP: While the chicken marinates, cook the ramen noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set it aside to use later.

• Step 2: Make the Broth – in a 4-quart dutch-oven or heavy-duty soup pot, cook the chicken with its liquid until the chicken is no longer pink, about 3-4 minutes. Don’t forget to season with salt and pepper.

Stir in chicken stock and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

• Step 3: Add the Greens – Stir in boy choy and bean sprouts. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until the boy choy is wilted. Remove the soup pot off heat and add a drizzle of sesame oil to the broth, about 1 teaspoon.

What Condiments Do You Put in Chicken Pho?

When serving chicken pho, I find that the toppings are as important as the soup here. They add a pop of color and scrumptious flavor. 

Serve a platter of condiments along with the soup, such as sliced jalapeño peppers, green onions, and cilantro. You can also throw in some fresh basil leaves, mint, lime wedges, sesame oil, and hot chili sauce.

To serve chicken pho, add cooked ramen noodles to a bowl, ladle generous serving of chicken broth, and top with loads of greens.

Ways to Serve Vietnamese Chicken Soup

Don’t limit chicken pho just to lunchtime, instead pair the soup with some of these amazing sides to make a nutrient-dense meal.

• Vegetable Rice Paper Rolls
• Chili Garlic Rice Noodle Salad
• 4-Ingredient Easy Potstickers
• Crunchy Asian Chopped Salad
• Roasted Garlic Green Beans

More Chicken Soup Recipes We Love:

• Sicilian Chicken Soup
• Chicken Split Pea Soup
• Chicken and Mushroom Soup
• Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

If you try Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup, don’t forget to leave feedback and a rating.

Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Katya
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins
• Yield: 4-6 1x
• Category: Soup
• Method: Simmer
• Cuisine: Vietnamese

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Description

Vietnamese chicken noodle soup with ramen noodles, ginger, bok choy, and fresh sprouts. It’s such a delicious twist on the traditional soup.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 8–10 oz. package ramen noodles
• 1 lb. chicken tenders, cut into thin strips
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 1 Tbsp. finely minced fresh ginger or grated with microplane
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil, plus more to serve
• 6 cups good-quality chicken stock
• 14 oz. can bean sprouts, drained
• 3 cups chopped bok choy, greens and whites
• Kosher salt and fresh black pepper
• To serve: sliced jalapeño peppers, green onions, and cilantro

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Instructions

1. Cook the noodles according to package instructions. Rinse under cold water. Drain and set aside.
2. In a bowl, combine the chicken tenders, lime juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, ginger, garlic, and paprika. Let the chicken stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.
3. Heat sesame oil in a heavy-duty dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. When hot, add chicken and its liquid. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring, until chicken is no longer pink, 3-4 minutes.
4. Add chicken stock. Season the stock with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, for about 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
5. Stir in bean sprouts and bok choy. Cook for additional 1-2 minutes or until bok choy greens are wilted and whites are tender crisp. Remove the soup off the heat. Add a light drizzle of sesame oil to the broth, about 1 teaspoon.
6. To serve: arrange the cooked noodles in a single serving bowl, ladle the soup over the noodles, and top with jalapeño peppers, green onions and cilantro.

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Notes

• Substitutions: Boneless, skinless breast can be substituted for the chicken tenders. For the boy choy, I find that baby spinach is a good swap. You can add a little more of it since spinach cooks down so much. Fresh bean sprouts can be substituted for the canned if you’re lucky to find them at your supermarket.
• Additional Toppings: Fresh basil leaves, fresh mint leaves, lime wedges, sesame oil, and hot chili sauce.
• Katya’s Tip: Key to flavorful soup is to get your broth nicely seasoned. Taste for salt and adjust as needed as you’re making the soup. Remember, salt is added to highlight the flavors of the ingredients, not to make them taste salty.
•  Recipe lightly adapted from: Nigella Lawson “Nigella Kitchen”

Keywords: noodle soup, vietnamese soup, easy pho

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Originally published in March 2015, updated January 2020 with new photos, rewritten post, and additional information. No change to the recipe.