Quick Skinny Vietnamese Chicken Pho Recipe Cooks in 20 Minutes by Sarah Amona

If you think pho is just made with beef, think again. This easy Vietnamese chicken pho recipe has less fat and calories – and tastes absolutely delicious!

The skinny chicken pho recipe is made with boneless, skinless chicken breast, fat-free chicken broth, wosun or zucchini, mung bean sprouts, onion, sesame oil, fresh cilantro and cilantro, hot chiles and chopped green onion. The easy pho cooks in about 20 minutes, and doesn't required all-day simmering like many pho recipes do.

Never heard of wosun? Wosun, also called celtuce, stem lettuce, celery lettuce, asparagus lettuce or Chinese lettuce, is a Chinese lettuce that has a thick steam and flavorful leaves. It's a vegetable and used in many Asian dishes. If you can't find wosun, zucchini is a good substitute.

Serve this skinny Vietnamese chicken pho for lunch or dinner with your favorite pho condiments.

Cuisine: Vietnamese
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 cups fat-free chicken broth
• 3 cups water
• 3 peeled wosun (also known as lettuce stem) or unpeeled zucchini, cut, sliced or “spiralized” into noodle-like strands (should yield 5 cups “noodles”)
• 1 cup mung bean sprouts
• 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro 
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 fresh red hot chili peppers, cut in half, seeds and membranes removed
• 1 medium green onion, trimmed and finely chopped

Here's how to make it: 

1. Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a large pot and season them with salt and pepper. Cover the chicken with water. Bring the water to a gentle boil. Once the liquid is boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes until the chicken done (internal temperature of 165 degrees F). Remove the chicken from water and let rest until cool enough to shred.
2. In a large soup pot, bring the chicken broth and water to boil. Add the veggie “noodles” and bring to boil. Turn off the heat.
3. Place the “noodles” at the bottom of a bowl and top with shredded chicken, sprouts and onion.
4. Add the broth and sesame oil. Garnish with coriander, basil, peppers and scallion.

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