Pho (Chicken)

A low FODMAP chicken pho of low FODMAP chicken broth, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, garlic-free fish sauce, rice noodles, Thai basil, and bean sprouts.

Prep 20 min

Cook 1 hr

Serves 4

Gluten-freeDairy-free

Ingredients

Broth

• 8 cups (1.9 L) low-FODMAP chicken broth
• 3-inch (7 cm) piece fresh ginger, halved lengthwise
• 3 whole star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 whole cloves
• 3 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 lb (450 g) boneless skinless chicken breast (or 1 lb sliced beef sirloin for a variation; see Tips)
• 2 tablespoons Red Boat fish sauce (garlic-free)
• 1 tablespoon gluten-free tamari
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt, to taste

Bowls

• 8 oz (225 g) flat rice noodles (pho-style, banh pho)
• 1/2 cup scallion greens, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 cup mung bean sprouts
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 1 red Thai chili or jalapeño, thinly sliced (optional)

Instructions

Char the Ginger

1. Hold the halved ginger over an open gas flame with tongs, or press it flat on a dry cast-iron pan over high heat. Char 3 to 4 minutes per side until the cut faces blacken in spots and the kitchen smells toasty.
2. This step is not optional. Charred ginger is what gives pho broth its depth when you can't use charred onion.

Toast the Spices

1. Warm a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods, and coriander seeds. Toast 2 to 3 minutes, shaking the pan, until fragrant.
2. Tip the spices into a small square of cheesecloth and tie it off, or drop them loose into a tea ball. Loose is fine too, since you'll strain the broth at the end.

Simmer the Broth

1. Combine the chicken broth, charred ginger, and spice bundle in a large pot. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
2. Slide in the chicken breasts. Simmer uncovered for 18 to 22 minutes, until the thickest part reads 165°F (74°C). Skim any foam that rises.
3. Lift the chicken onto a cutting board. Rest 5 minutes, then slice thin across the grain.
4. Keep the broth at a simmer for another 15 minutes to pull more flavor from the ginger and spices. Stir in the fish sauce, tamari, and sugar. Taste and add salt a pinch at a time until the broth tastes full and slightly sweet-salty.
5. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot. Discard the ginger and spices. Keep hot.

Cook the Noodles

1. Bring a separate pot of water to a boil. Cook the rice noodles per the package, usually 4 to 6 minutes, until tender but still springy. Drain and rinse briefly under cold water to stop the cook.
2. Portion the noodles into 4 deep bowls, about 1 cup cooked per bowl.

Assemble

1. Lay sliced chicken over the noodles in each bowl. Ladle the hot strained broth directly over the chicken. The heat finishes warming everything through.
2. Top with scallion greens. Serve with Thai basil, cilantro, bean sprouts, lime wedges, and sliced chili on a plate at the table so each eater builds their own bowl.

Tips & Substitutions

• Check the fish sauce label. Some fish sauces add garlic or garlic extract, so read each bottle. Red Boat is two ingredients, anchovies and sea salt, and Son and Megachef are also plain.
• Skip hoisin and sriracha. Most hoisin and sriracha list garlic near the top of the label, so check any bottle before using it. Extra lime, sliced chili, and a drizzle of garlic-infused olive oil cover the heat and umami.
• Skip pho bouillon cubes and pastes. Many commercial pho bases list onion and garlic, so the scratch broth here is the way to get the flavor.
• Scallion greens only, no whites. The dark green tops carry the aromatic punch and stay low-FODMAP as a garnish. The white bulbs carry fructans and behave like onion in the gut.
• Beef pho variation. Swap the chicken for 1 lb (450 g) sirloin or eye of round. Freeze the beef for 30 minutes, then slice paper-thin across the grain. Poach the slices in the simmering broth for 30 to 60 seconds, until they reach 145°F (63°C), then add them to the bowls.
• Rice noodle serve size. Portion noodles evenly at about 1 cup cooked per bowl. Monash lists cooked rice noodles as low FODMAP at 1 cup per serve.

Why This Works

Charred ginger does the work onion can't. Traditional pho is built on charred yellow onion and shallot for sweetness and depth. Both are high FODMAP. Charring a large knob of ginger over an open flame builds the same dark, toasty backbone, and fresh ginger is low FODMAP at this amount.

Whole spices are all low-FODMAP. Star anise, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, and coriander seed are low FODMAP in the small amounts used here. They carry the signature pho flavor without the onion and garlic in many pre-mixed pho seasoning packets.

Fish sauce brand matters here. Plain fish sauce is fermented anchovies and salt, and it is low FODMAP. Some brands add garlic or garlic extract, which is why a two-ingredient label like Red Boat's shows up in so many low FODMAP recipes.

Scratch broth instead of shortcuts. Hoisin, sriracha, and bought pho bases usually carry garlic or onion. Building the broth from scratch keeps the pho flavor and keeps the bowl low FODMAP.

Storage

Store the strained broth, sliced chicken, and cooked noodles in separate sealed containers in the fridge at 40°F (4°C) or below for 3 to 4 days. Rice noodles turn gummy when they sit in broth overnight, so always keep them apart. Freeze the broth alone for up to 3 months. To reheat, bring the broth back to a simmer, warm the chicken in the simmering broth until it reaches 165°F (74°C), and assemble fresh bowls with just-cooked noodles and fresh herbs.