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Sharing my favorite Spring soup!
Because as I type this there is way too much snow falling outside my window, and you know…I am totally over it! It’s almost April and all I want is sunshine, and lots of it! Ugh, Oh well, I guess the good news is that it’s still very much soup weather, which is why I decided to share this quick and easy spring pho style soup!
Is anyone else feeling the need for a little springtime comfort food or what?
It’s Thursday, so my thinking here is that it’s the end of the week and we all just need an easy recipe to warm up to tonight. This is totally that recipe…plus, I mean, there’s noodles involved, and when are noodles not a good idea?
Answer? They’re always a good idea!
OKok, so I am going to get right down to the recipe today because well, it’s Thursday and my brain is feeling a little all over the place!
This soup was inspired by Pho. It has all things fresh, cozy and delicious. Honey caramelized chicken, sweet and spicy broth, peas, spinach, rice noodles, and topped with an egg (which is not traditional, but it just seemed like a good idea…when it doubt put an egg on it), sprouts, cilantro, and edible garlic flowers, because I’m obsessed with edible flowers right now.
Traditionally, pho is a slow simmered soup using beef and or chicken bones to create a delicious and super flavorful broth. As much as I love that idea, sometimes using store-bought broth is just about all I can handle…especially towards the end of the week…and especially after a week like this one, which was spent filming four to five recipes a day!!
The soup comes together all in one pot. Start out by cooking up the chicken with a little honey to caramelize it just a bit. Then add everything else to the same pot and simmer. I used two of my favorite spring veggies, peas and spinach, but really, you can use any combo of veggies you love, and or have on hand. Carrots, mushrooms, bok choy, kale, and bell peppers would be awesome with this soup! Most important here is the broth, noodles and that honey caramelized chicken. <–so good.
This soup is very easy and simple, but still so flavorful and delish!
In other random news, it’s been a pretty great week over here! Lots of fun working away in the kitchen and actually having someone around to chat with while I work. Typically it’s just me, my camera, and a lot of food, but with my brother here filming this week, its been a nice change of pace, which I think was very much needed. I love when work doesn’t actually feel so much like work, it makes the day fly by.
Kai is flying out of today, he’s headed to Cleveland for his girlfriend Cait’s birthday, but he’s leaving behind plenty of new recipe videos…which I am very excited about!
But first! A little (cheaters style) pho soup for dinner!
Springtime Chicken Soup
Servings: 4 servings
Calories Per Serving: 606 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless chicken tenders
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or sesame oil
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 star anise
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 1 fresno pepper, seeded + chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 8 ounces rice noodles
- soft boiled eggs, optional, for serving
- fresh cilantro, basil, sprouts and limes, for serving
Instructions
- 1. In a medium bowl, toss together the chicken and honey.2. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chicken and sear until caramelized on both sides, about 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the broth. Add the star anise, garlic, ginger, fresno pepper, hoisin sauce, and fish sauce. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily. Shred the chicken in the pot. Stir in the peas, and spinach. Heat until warmed through, about 5 minutes. 3. Cook the rice noodles according to package directions.4. Divide the noodles between bowls and ladle the soup over the noodles. Garnish as desired with eggs, herbs, limes, and sprouts. Enjoy!
But first! A little cheaters style pho soup for dinner tonight!
Very impressed with this recipe, I didn’t have all ingredients but my mother was overwhelmed with how good it tasted.
I’m from Vietnam.
Hi there,
Thanks a lot for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well:) Have a great day! xT
this is so delicious, and so easy! thank you!
Hey there! Thanks so much for trying out the recipe! I’m sooo glad you loved it! xT
I have been making this dish for a long time. It’s a go-to recipe. I am sorry that people are getting offended by the name and you had to change it. It is still delicious as are so many of your recipes.
Hi Tracie,
Perfect!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Happy Wednesday! xx
I don’t care what you call this – it is so good!! We changed it up a bit based on what was in the fridge – we added mushrooms and mint and used leftover chicken. Awesome! Thank you.
Hey Kathey,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! ?xx
Looks like you have been ill informed and spreading misinformation for years now. Calling what you made pho is offensive to what is actually pho. Clearly you do not understand the basics when it comes to making a broth. A spice bag ensure you have a clean broth- no one in their right minds find biting into star anise enjoyable. Lastly, traditional pho (from the north) also is served with a poach egg, so again educate yourself before making random comments as if you have any factual knowledge to share.
Please don’t make Asian dish white and call it pho. This is not pho. Call it what it is. Rice noodle soup with chicken.
You should probably not call this one Pho too. Especially with your recent post. Thank you for explaining how it’s usually made but if you’re not going to follow that and are not the right person to offer alternatives, don’t call this pho. I love how you even wrote “I don’t know if I should call this pho” in the post. If you’re wary about it, a good rule of thumb is to not do it at all. People’s cultures are not for you to just pick and choose. Food is not just food.
There is history and love and generations of beloved memories of mothers cooking. None of that is for you to take the name for the popularity, write a tiny anecdote of the “traditional” way and then push your completely different recipe
This was very flavorful. I used cauliflower noodles I found at Costco! Not because we eat GF, but because they sounded like a good (read healthy) option for a chicken noodle soup! So good, as usual with your recipes!
I am so glad this turned out so well for you! Thank you for trying this! xTieghan
I made this today because we are experiencing a blizzard in spring!:( and needed something fresh! it is SOOOO good!!!! my whole family loved it. I also made my own hoisin sauce.
I hope you’re staying warm!! This soup should have helped haha! Thank you for making this, I am so glad you enjoyed it! xTieghan
Blegh
Hi Dan! I am sorry you do not like this recipe. Is there anything I could answer for you or help you with? Please let me know. I hope you love some other recipes on my blog!
…also, I added sliced, roasted sweet potatoes and roasted broccoli–any roasted veggies would be good in it.
Ooo! Great additions! may have to try them myself!
I absolutely loved this–and have loved many of your recipes. They are all beautiful and delicious. Thank you!!!
So happy you are liking them, thanks so much Sandra!