Instant Pot Quick Pho Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup with Miso)

Pho Ga is a staple in my home. And the instant pot makes it super easy to have regularly. I'm always a fan of traditional but as I've started to make it more often I've experimented with different ingredients that add such a yummy depth of flavor to the dish, like adding miso to the broth and topping it with chili crunch. I love that pho is a soup you can customize to your taste buds - sometimes I'm craving traditional and simple and other times I want something more complex with spice. It's all about your own journey, make it the way you want in the moment.

Serves: 4-6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes (Instant Pot)

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Broth:

• 1 whole chicken (about 3-4 lbs)

• 8 cups water

• 1 large onion, halved

• 3-inch piece of ginger, sliced lengthwise

• 4 cloves garlic, smashed

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 3 whole star anise

• 4 whole cloves

• 1 tsp coriander seeds (optional)

• 2 tbsp white or yellow miso paste

• 1 tbsp avo oil

• 1 tbsp fish sauce

• 1 tbsp tamari

• Salt to taste

For the Noodles and Toppings:

• 2 oz rice noodles (per serving)

• 1-2 limes, cut into wedges

• Fresh herbs (cilantro, Thai basil, mint are all great)

• 2 green onions, sliced (optional)

• 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced (optional)

• 1 jalapeno thinly sliced (optional)

• 1 tbsp of chili crunch (optional)

Instructions:

1. Char the Aromatics:

• Turn on the Instant Pot and set it to the “Sauté” function.

• Add the avo oil, onion halves, ginger slices, and garlic cloves to the pot. Cook for 3-4 minutes, turning occasionally, until the surfaces are charred and fragrant. Remove and set aside.

2. Toast the Spices:

• In the same Instant Pot, add the cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, and coriander seeds (if using). Toast the spices for about 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly until fragrant. Optional, but you can remove the spices and tie in a spice bag and place back in the pot.

3. Prepare the Broth:

• Return the charred onion, ginger, and garlic to the pot.

• Place the whole chicken in the Instant Pot, breast side up, and add 8 cups of cold water.

• Add the miso paste, stirring gently to dissolve it into the water.

• Close the lid and set the Instant Pot to "Manual" (Pressure Cook) on high for 25 minutes.

• Once the cooking cycle is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 10 minutes, then carefully perform a quick release.

4. Shred the Chicken:

• Open the lid and carefully remove the whole chicken. Set it aside to cool slightly.

• Strain the broth to remove the spices, onion, ginger, and garlic, then return the broth to the pot.

• Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat and discard the bones.

5. Season the Broth:

• Season the broth with fish sauce, tamari, and maybe salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your taste, keeping the miso flavor balanced with the other ingredients.

6. Cook the Rice Noodles:

• While the broth is cooking, prepare the rice noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

7. Assemble the Pho:

• Divide the cooked rice noodles into bowls.

• Top with shredded chicken and ladle the hot, miso-infused broth over the noodles.

• Serve with lime wedges, fresh herbs, green onions, yellow onion, and jalapeno's on the side for your own custom bowl.

Notes:

*When I'm craving more veggies I love adding in fresh bok choy as a topping.

*My go to chili crunch lately is from Spice is Life (highly recommend - it's made with clean ingredients, is affordable, and insanely good- the garlic chips are chefs kiss)

Enjoy your umami-packed, miso-enhanced Pho Ga!