Pho - Yum, Yum

As usual, not a ton of great places locally for 'foreign' types of food so I get to create my own!  I originally learned about Pho when working at Sorenson in SLC with Ryan, Mike and Miranda and it has stuck.  Definitely one of my favorite meals.

Soak Pho Noodles in water for at least 30 minutes.  Use as much as you want since they will not be added to the whole mixture below and can be used for days.

Fill a medium sized pot with about 6-8 cups of chicken stock.  I use water and 'Better Than Bouillon' because it is easy and tasty.  Then add the following:

1 inch minced ginger
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
5 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons minced garlic

Once that has sat for a while (anywhere from 10 minutes to many, many hours), take 3 chicken breasts cubed and add to the mix and cook till done.

To serve this, you can put noodles in a bowl, then pour the hot soup over them.  Let sit a few minutes before eating.  Have a plate with the following so everyone can garnish as they please:

fresh basil leaves

fresh jalapenos

bean sprouts

lime wedges

sriracha

hoisen sause

You can also mix it up a little and add mushrooms or anything else you enjoy in soup!