Quick Leftovers Pho-style Soup

I make this a lot on Mondays after a Sunday roast, using up leftover roast chicken and vegetables. 

I also tend to make a “base” soup for the whole family and then add to it with extras to jazz it up a little bit.  A bit like with fajitas or tacos but here, it’s with a broth. 

Firstly, the broth can be bone broth or vegetable stock – whatever your preference.  I would make about 750 ml for a family of four. 

Ingredients 

Big bit of ginger peeled and cut up in to two chunks
5 spring onions
Fresh coriander stalks
Fresh mint leaves roughly chopped
Fresh coriander leaves roughly chopped
1 red chilli or dried chilli flakes
Left over roast chicken or pulled roast chicken
Your preferred vegetables; I love ribboned courgette and carrot.  My kids love steamed broccoli, corn and red pepper
4 serving of noodles; I prefer clear spring brown rice noodles
1 Lime cut into quarters

Method

First heat up your bone broth or prepare your stock as per the instructions on the label. 

Prepare three of your spring onions, top and tail them, peel the outer layer off and cut each one in half.

Keep the heated stock on a low heat and add the halved spring onions, the ginger and the coriander and let infuse for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, strain the broth so that you can discard the ginger, spring onions and coriander stalks and are left with a yummy stock.

You can prepare your additional vegetables from here; firstly, top and tail the two extra spring onions, remove the outer layer and chop – l like to chop them into slices on the diagonal for a pho as it looks nice.  Same with the chilli if you’re using it.  You can discard the seeds or keep them, depending on how spicy you like your soup to be.  I then pop them in little pots to serve alongside the pho.

To prepare the carrot and courgette, top and tail them both and remove the carrot skin using a peeler and then ribbon the carrot with a peeler creating nice thin slices working from one side and then moving on to the other.  With the courgette just remove one slice of the outer layer from each side and then again ribbon from each side and discard the middle when it gets too thin (it will keep in the fridge and can be added to another soup, curry, stir fry or roasted). Once they are prepared, leave them to one side. 

I usually have some leftover vegetables but if not, I would steam a few pieces of broccoli cut up small and then cook some corn in leftover broccoli water and chop up a red pepper. Putting each vegetable in its own little bowl.

From here, cook your noodles according to the instructions on the label.  The ones I use are super quick and take only about five minutes.

While the noodles are cooking, if you are using leftover chicken, add it to the broth now to warm though.

One the noodles are drained, add them to your bowls ready to serve.  If you are using chicken, use a slotted spoon to add to each bowl on top of the noodles and then use a ladle to pour some broth on top.

I serve the soup like this and then everyone chooses their own toppings – I go for chilli, spring onion, carrot, courgette, mint, coriander, lime, and tamari.  Yum.  It works for dinner or lunch – whatever you prefer.