Zucchini Noodle Chicken Pho Soup Vietnamese Pho Recipe (2024)

Enjoy this light Zucchini noodle chicken pho soup on a cold day. It’s low carb, soothing and loaded with delicious chicken pho soup flavor.Zucchini Noodle Chicken Pho Soup Vietnamese Pho Recipe (1)

Vietnamese Chicken Pho Zucchini Noodle Soup

Vietnamese pho noodle soup runs in our kitchen like an overflowing spring river after a snow melt. Rarely do we ever go a whole week without pho and when myMom is making her usual huge pot of simmering beef pho broth, we might have it twice a day. There’s just something wonderfully healing, soothing and comforting in a bowl of pho. Each bowl is different. No two bowls are ever the same because everyone customizes their bowl with condiments and herbs to make it their own.

Zucchini Noodle Pho Soup with Roast Chicken

To change things up during our cold weather daily pho cravings, we have different variations of Pho including one made from roast chicken and zucchini noodles. Why? Because it’s quick to make, light on the stomach and absolutely satisfying on a cold day.Think awesome chicken soup, Pho flavors, low-carb zucchini noodles and what you have is perfection in a steaming hot bowl. It’s the ultimate zucchini noodle chicken pho soup to keep your belly warm and satisfies.

Video: Vietnamese ZucchiniNoodle Chicken Pho Soup:

Zucchini Noodle Chicken Pho Soup Vietnamese Pho Recipe (2)

BestVegetableSpiralizers:

Zucchini Noodle Chicken Pho Soup Vietnamese Pho Recipe (3)

Paderno Spiralizer
The Classic! We’ve lost track of how many meals this one has made for us. Fantastic spiralizer.

Zucchini Noodle Chicken Pho Soup Vietnamese Pho Recipe (4)

KitchenAid Spiralizer Attachment
Spiralize, peel, core, slice. All from the power of the KitchenAid stand mixer.

Zucchini Noodle Chicken Pho Soup Vietnamese Pho Recipe (5)

OXO Julienne Peeler
For those who love it simple. This great julienne peeler has seen a lot of mileage in our kitchen.

Zucchini Noodle Chicken Pho Soup Vietnamese Pho Recipe (6)

The flavors are wonderful and it doesn’t get much easier than this to make. We love eating roast chicken and with leftovers, we use the bones to make the rich broth. It’s one of those meals that we can made ahead of time and heat up in portions for lunch or dinner.

Even the zucchini noodles are spiralized ahead of time and all we need to do is to add the zucchini noodles in the broth and we have an instant, homemade chicken zucchini noodle soup with all the Vietnamese spices, flavors and comfort.

Light and Healthy Zucchini Noodle Pho Soup

Yes, it’s really not true “Vietnamese Beef Pho” and it’s clear. You don’t need to remind of that. But I’ve been known to break some culinary rules, apologized to Mom for my BLT Spring rolls and Hard Core Bang-Banh Mi with Egg recipe.I’m a proponent of eating what you like and being creative. Every family has their own food traditions, recipes and adaptions. This is my adaption to having a clean, light and satisfying soup to warm me up. And best of all, my Vietnamese family has tasted it, were impressed by it and love it.

This recipemade with fresh ingredients and most importantly, it’s made with love. Let’s just celebrate good food together.

-Diane

Here’s several ways to cut zucchini into noodles:

We used this awesomePaderno vegetable spiral slicerto make the curly zucchini noodles or pasta:

Zucchini Noodle Chicken Pho Soup Vietnamese Pho Recipe (7)

OurOXO vegetable peelerwas equally awesome at making the noodles, without the curly look.

Zucchini Noodle Chicken Pho Soup Vietnamese Pho Recipe (8)

AMandolinworks great as well, but be safe. We used oursafety gloves.

Zucchini Noodle Chicken Pho Soup Vietnamese Pho Recipe (9)

though a mandolin doesn’t have the curls either, the zucchini cooksup great.

Zucchini Noodle Chicken Pho Soup Vietnamese Pho Recipe (10)

More Zucchini Noodle recipe inspiration:

Our Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai Recipe is flavorful and satisfying

Zucchini Noodle Chicken Pho Soup Vietnamese Pho Recipe (11)

Craving Chinese without the calories? Make Zucchini Noodle Chow Mein with Pork Recipe

Turkey marinara with zucchini noodles hits the spot. Here’s the recipe.

This recipe was originally published in 2016 and was updated with a new video & info in 2019.

Zucchini Noodle Chicken Pho Soup Vietnamese Pho Recipe (14)

Roast Chicken Pho Zucchini Noodle Soup

Yield: 6 servings

Total Time: 2 hours hrs

Roast chicken is one of our our go-to dinners and we never get bored with roast chicken. So when we're craving a quick but still fresh and delicious chicken soup, we'll use roast chicken. If you want to skip the roast chicken step, local deli's and markets sell excellent pre-cooked roasted chicken for another option. Instead of a roast chicken you can boil about 1.5 to 2 pounds of chicken thighs or drumsticks for the broth. You'll have to simmer the broth for twice as long so the raw meat can cook through to tenderness and to richen the broth. If using raw chicken, make sure to skim the broth as it cooks.

We pre-blanch the zucchini noodles just enough to make them wilted but not too soft or overcooked. We don't like mushy zucchini noodles pho. They'll continue softening when you add the hot broth. The pre-blanch stage of this recipe allows the zucchini noodles to release excess moisture so it doesn't water down the flavor and concentration of the chicken Pho broth. If you want to cook the zucchini noodles in the pho broth, then season the broth extra to compensate for the extra zucchini water.

5 from 10 votes

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Ingredients

For the roast chicken broth:

  • 1 cooked roast chicken , from about a 4pound chicken (or 1.5 to 2 pounds of raw chicken legs/thighs. Read headnote forinstruction)
  • 12 cups (2.75 liter) water
  • 2 medium carrots , cut into quarters
  • ½ onion , peeled and charred over open flame if possible for optimal flavor
  • 2 inch knob of ginger , peeled and charred over open flame for optimal flavor
  • 4 star anise
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) fish sauce
  • 1 cinnamon stick (about 3-inches)
  • 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
  • 1/4 teaspoon whole cloves (optional)
  • salt , to taste

For the zucchini noodle soup:

  • 1 pound (455g) zucchini , cut into noodle strands
  • shredded roast chicken
  • garnishes: green onions, cilantro
  • sides/condiments - choose as many or few as you prefer: fresh thai basil , fresh mint, bean sprouts, lime wedges, hoisin, Sriracha hot sauce or fresh chiles

Instructions

  • Remove meat from roast chicken, set aside meat and place chicken bones in large stock pot.

  • In stock pot with chicken bones, add water, carrots, onion, ginger, anise stars, fish sauce, cinnamon and peppercorns.

  • Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to low simmer. Cook on low simmer for about 1.5 hours. Stir occasionally and skim toremove fat deposits floating to the top of the broth. *For best flavor, make the pho broth a day ahead. *If using raw chicken, simmer the broth for 3 hours.

  • Season broth with additional salt or fish sauce to taste. Allow the broth to cool. Then strain the broth (it is easiest to remove large solids first and then strain) and return the broth to stock pot. Add the shredded chicken. Bring the broth to low simmer before serving.

  • While pho broth is initially cooking, fill another large pot with hot water. Bring to a boil and add the zucchini noodles. Quickly blanche the zucchini noodles for about 1-2 minutes, or until the noodles are nearlytender (they will cook a bit more when you serve them with the hot broth). Drain the zucchini noodles.

  • Fill bowls with zucchini noodles, top with shredded chicken, green onion and cilantro. Top with hot chicken broth and serve with sides and condiments.

Video

Nutrition Information per Serving

Calories: 301kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 42g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 120mg, Sodium: 637mg, Potassium: 679mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 3614IU, Vitamin C: 16mg, Calcium: 68mg, Iron: 3mg

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American, Asian, Soup, Vietnamese

Calories: 301

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Zucchini Noodle Chicken Pho Soup Vietnamese Pho Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What gives pho its distinct flavor? ›

Broth - the soul of Pho. Beef bones play a crucial role in influencing the quality of the broth. Combined with spices such as ginger, charred onions, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and coriander seeds, the broth gains a distinct aroma.

Is Vietnamese noodle soup the same as pho? ›

Pho should be called "Vietnamese noodle" or "soup noodle" because it is a noodle dish. You cannot expect two bowls of pho made in two separate kitchens to ever taste the same. There are many recipes of pho existing out there, with each recipe somewhat different from each other.

Is Vietnamese chicken pho healthy? ›

Pho is a Vietnamese soup made with broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat or tofu. Due to its nutritious ingredients and high protein content, it may offer several benefits, including reduced inflammation and improved joint health. Still, it can be high in sodium and calories, so portion size is important.

What is the secret ingredient in pho? ›

Sa sung—dried peanut worms—have been described as the secret ingredient of great pho.

Why does pho always make me feel better? ›

Protein & Fiber

Traditional pho is served with thinly sliced beef, but it can be made with any type of meat. Including a serving of meat gives you added protein and combining it with plenty of vegetables gives you a healthy dose of fiber, both of which help you to feel satiated longer.

Is pho healthier than ramen? ›

When talking about calories, a medium bowl of ramen contains 350 calories, while a medium bowl of pho contains 550 calories.. Ramen has more carbs and less protein while pho has more protein and fewer carbs. Pho has more sodium than ramen. The winner of this nutritional showdown is pho!

How often do Vietnamese eat pho? ›

Even though Vietnamese people do not eat Pho everyday, this is the favorite breakfast of many people every morning. Many people prefer to eat pho in the morning rather than other foods such as rice and bread.

What does pho mean in Vietnamese? ›

Pho is a type of Vietnamese soup that usually consists of bone broth, rice noodles, spices, and thinly sliced meat (usually beef). Though “pho” technically refers to the noodles and not the soup itself, most people consider the dish a singular unit.

Is it OK to eat pho everyday? ›

Experts also suggest that if pho is used for breakfast, then you should avoid salt for the rest of the day. To avoid imbalanced nutrition, you should not eat pho too often, and you should switch up diet with other food products. Any food, no matter how good it is, won't be good for your body if consumed too much.

Do Vietnamese eat pho everyday? ›

Do Vietnamese eat Pho and Spring Rolls everyday? dish, however it is not the staple diet for the locals, unlike steamed rice. Wedding ceremonies.

Is pho anti inflammatory? ›

Pho is very nutritious. From its ingredients, it's been shown to reduce inflammation and improve joint health. If you suffer from something like chronic pain or arthritis, you may want to entertain the idea of enjoying more pho. The broth particularly can be very anti-inflammation.

How often should you eat pho? ›

There is no specific recommendation for how often you can eat pho broth, as it depends on a variety of factors, including your overall diet, your nutritional needs, and your health goals.

Is there MSG in pho broth? ›

The amount of MSG in Pho soup can vary depending on the recipe and the specific restaurant or brand that produces the soup. However, MSG is a common ingredient in many types of Asian cuisine, including Pho soup.

What are the benefits of chicken pho soup? ›

A typical bowl of pho with chicken or beef added contains roughly half of the recommended amount of protein per day for most people. Not only is it delicious, but that protein serves as essential building blocks for bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.

What is the distinct smell in pho? ›

Black cardamom, a seedpod about the size of an olive pit, gives pho its savory depth. The spice smells of menthol and smoke, and it imparts a surprisingly earthy aroma. Another pho signature spice, star anise, is a brown eight-pointed pod that lends a hint of licorice to the broth.

What makes pho broth different? ›

Beef broth: Pho usually has a clear beef broth made from bones and meat that's flavored with star anise and cloves for a subtle spice.

What is the strong flavor in pho? ›

A whole star anise has about eight of those seed pods (referred to as “points” in recipes). Choose robust points for maximum flavor. Broken star anise is fine. Chinese black cardamom (thảo quả in Vietnamese) can challenge with its smoky, woodsy, menthol-like qualities but some say it's the signature pho flavor.

What makes pho smell so good? ›

Star anise, cloves, and cinnamon are the aromatic trinity in traditional pho stock. Try adding a few whole spices to the store-bought stuff, along with fresh ginger and a glug of fish sauce.

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