Last Monday night I made a terrible dinner. I had one of those dried soup kits in the way back of my pantry and decided, ‘why not make this tonight?! It’s chilly, soup will taste good and this is easy’. Oh man, it was horrible. Poor Chris tried to be a good sport and eat a little, but I could tell his heart wasn’t in it. So, I owed it to myself and to Chris to make something way better for dinner the next night. I went the soup route again… risky after the previous night’s incident, but it was still chilly and the heart wants what it wants, ya know?
Well I am pleased to report that this recipe is a WINNER. Two thumbs up, want to have seconds then thirds and can’t wait to eat it the next day for lunch. It’s THAT good. And the even better part? It’s healthy! So you CAN have seconds then thirds and not feel guilty about it.
The broth tastes like take out pho broth – gingery with a hint of earthy spice from the star anise and cloves. It’s amazing what an impact those tiny little cloves can have. It wasn’t until I tasted the broth that I realized “THAT’S how they do it in the restaurants!”.
With minimal prep and hands on work, this recipe is a great pick for an easy but satisfying dinner. It’s also great for a crowd or to ensure lots of leftovers Glad to have a few months of cold weather ahead of us so we can enjoy this many more times.
Slow Cooker Chicken Pho with Zoodles
Serves 6
- 3 zucchini, spiralized
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3 heads of baby bok choy, roughly chopped
- 1 large white onion, thinly sliced in half moons
- 8oz package of bean sprouts
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 10 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 star anise
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- ½ tbsp granulated sugar
- salt & pepper
- for toppings: lime, cilantro, jalapeño, Siracha
- To a (large) crockpot, add chicken breasts, onion, fish sauce, soy sauce, broth, cloves, star anise, ginger and sugar. Add a large pinch, each, of salt and pepper. Give the mixture a stir, then turn the crockpot on high.
- Cook 90 minutes. Remove chicken breasts and shred using a fork or your fingers (let it cool slightly first!).
- Add chicken back to the crock pot, along with the bok choy and bean sprouts. Stir to combine. Cook on high for another 60 minutes or until all vegetables are tender.
- Ladle pho into a large bowl over zucchini zoodles. Top with torn basil leaves, cilantro, jalapeños, and/or Siracha.
Multiples & Miles 
