Pho is built on a long-simmered broth, and the fat that rises to the top is the easiest thing in the world to skim off. What’s left is a clear, deeply savoury soup flavoured by charred onion, ginger and warm spices, poured over rice noodles and lean chicken. Maybe the most satisfying low-fat bowl I know.
It takes time, but it’s mostly hands-off, and it freezes well in batches.
Serves 4. Roughly 4g fat and 385 kcal per serving (broth skimmed).
Phase & care: Chicken breast (or skinless meat), rice noodles, cinnamon, Thai basil, lime and ginger are fine for me. Fish sauce and the whole warm spices aren’t on my P1 list, so I treat them as phase-2, with care. Bean sprouts are a P2 I’ve tested and tolerate fine, so I add them once I’m past the gentle phase. No chilli garnish; it’s a “never” for me. Charred onion is cooked, so P2.
Ingredients
- 1.5kg chicken (whole or bone-in pieces, skin removed before serving)
- 1 onion and a thumb of ginger, halved and charred under a grill
- Spices: 2 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cloves, 1 tsp coriander seed
- 2 litres water, fish sauce to taste
- 200g flat rice noodles
- To serve: Thai basil, lime, spring onion (bean sprouts optional)
Method
- Char the onion and ginger until blackened in spots. This is where a lot of the flavour comes from.
- Simmer the chicken, charred aromatics and spices in the water for about 1 hour. Skim the foam and fat off the top regularly.
- Lift out the chicken, shred the meat (discard skin). Strain the broth. Chill it briefly and lift off any set fat, or blot the surface with kitchen paper.
- Season the clear broth with fish sauce.
- Cook the noodles, divide into bowls with chicken, pour over the hot broth. Add herbs, lime and spring onion at the table.
Skim, skim, skim. The whole low-fat case for pho rests on getting the fat off the top of the broth, so be ruthless.
Stepan’s rule: Fat floats. Any broth, soup or stew can be made dramatically leaner by chilling it and lifting the set fat off, or blotting the hot surface. The single highest-value kitchen habit I have.
More like this
Also low fat and easy on a sore pancreas: the roasted beetroot and apple salad with lemon and dill and the leek and potato soup. The full system, with the fat budget in grams and all 75 recipes, is in the book.
Not medical advice. This recipe reflects one patient’s low-fat approach grounded in published guidance. Fat tolerance is individual. Check with your own healthcare team before changing your diet.