Slow Simmered Vietnamese Noodle Soup

Slow Simmered Vietnamese Noodle Soup

• 3 to 4 chicken breasts
• or
• 8 thighs, preferably bone-in
• or
• 3 legs with thighs attached
• 12 cups (3 L) chicken broth
• 1/3 cup (75 mL) fish sauce
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) sugar, preferably brown
• 10 slices fresh ginger
• 8 to 10 star anise
• 3 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp (5 mL) dried chili flakes or hot-garlic chili sauce (optional)
• 2 inch (5 cm) wide bundle of dried stick rice noodles, about 80 g
• 1 cup (250 mL) roughly torn basil and mint leaves
• Garnishes - green onions, cilantro, lime wedges, thai basil leaves and mint leaves, thinly sliced thai
• bird chilies or dried red pepper flakes, fresh bean sprouts

Slow Simmered Vietnamese Noodle Soup

1. Turn slow cooker to high. Remove skin from chicken if you like. Leaving it on will give flavor. Leave pieces whole so they don't overcook. Add broth to slow cooker along with fish sauce, sugar, ginger, star anise, cinnamon and dried pepper flakes. Add onions, separating into rings as you add. Submerge chicken, bone-side up, in broth as best you can.
2. Cover and cook 4 hours on high for bone-in chicken or 3 hours for boneless. Then remove chicken to a bowl. Break noodles in half. They should loosely fill a 4 cup (1 L) measuring cup. Add to simmering soup, separating as you add. Cover and cook until softened, 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the noodle. Stir occasionally to keep separated.
3. Meanwhile, shred or slice chicken into bite-size strips, discarding any skin and bones. When noodles are almost done, fish the cinnamon sticks, ginger slices and star anise from soup and discard. You can leave them in if you like. Stir chicken back into the soup. Just before serving stir in the basil and mint. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with green onions and cilantro. Soup will keep well in refrigerator at least 3 days.