Vietnamese Chicken Pho (Phở Gà) (includes complimentary surprise dessert)

This week’s soup meal honors the deeply restorative and aromatic tradition of Phở Gà, Vietnam’s beloved chicken noodle soup. Vietnamese cuisine is celebrated for its vibrant flavors and delicate balance — where no single note dominates, but each element enhances the whole. Phở exemplifies this, with its layers of spice, fresh herbs, and nourishing broth.

At the heart of the bowl is a long-simmered stock made with bone-in chicken, charred onion and ginger, and warming spices like star anise, cloves, and coriander. These ingredients aren’t just flavorful — they support digestion, circulation, and immunity. The result is a broth that’s light yet full-bodied, comforting and deeply aromatic.

The soup is poured over tender rice noodles and topped with hand-shredded chicken for clean protein and satisfying texture. A fragrant garnish plate offers fresh Thai basil, cilantro, mint, bean sprouts, lime wedges, and optional chili — each one bringing its own nutritional value and vibrant contrast. The herbs cool and cleanse, the lime awakens the palate, and the chili gently energizes metabolism and circulation.

Served with hoisin and sriracha on the side — including a clean, housemade hoisin-style sauce made from wholesome sunflower seed butter — this customizable bowl allows for a personal balance of sweetness, salt, heat, and acidity — the cornerstones of Vietnamese flavor.

More than just soup, Phở Gà is comfort food with intention — made to nourish, revive, and connect. It’s naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, filled with ingredients known to soothe the nervous system and restore energy.

And on a personal note: the first time I brought Aaron to a Vietnamese restaurant I loved, early in our relationship, he tried pho for the first time. One spoonful in, he paused, eyes wide. By the end of the bowl, he looked at me and said, “That was deep healing in a bowl.” He couldn’t stop talking about how incredible he felt — like something inside him had been realigned. It became one of our early food memories — the kind you always come back to.

We hope this bowl brings that same kind of warmth and restoration to you.