Vietnamese Bean Thread Chicken Noodle Soup (Mien Ga) Recipe (with Video)

Preparing the Chicken and Broth
1. In an 8 qt pot, add your whole chicken, salt, ginger, white onion, and rock sugar.
2. Fill the pot with water until covering the chicken and bring to boil over high heat.
3. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to simmer.
4. Remove the impurities that float to the top of the broth.
5. Allow to simmer for 1 hour.
Preparing the Bean Thread Noodles
1. In the meantime, prep your bean thread noodles by soaking them in warm water for 5-8 minutes or until softened.
2. Drain and set aside.
Frying the Shallots
1. In a small pot, add the 1/2 cup oil over medium high heat.
2. Once the oil is hot, add your shallots and allow to cook over medium until golden - 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Use a mesh strainer to scoop the shallots out and allow to cool on a plate with a paper towel.
4. Once the shallots cool, they should crisp up.
Finishing the Chicken
1. Once the chicken is done cooking, remove the chicken from the pot and allow to cool in a container with cold water and ice.
2. Once cooled, slice or shred the chicken meat and store in a separate container.
Seasoning the Broth
1. Discard the fat that floats at the top of the broth.
2. Add all the ingredients listed under “to season the broth”.
3. Taste and adjust to your liking.
Serving the Dish
1. To serve, add bean thread noodles, shredded chicken meat, green onions, Vietnamese coriander, fried shallots, and black pepper to each bowl.
2. Ladle the boiling broth over the noodles and that should cook the bean thread noodles.
3. The broth has to be BOILING for this to work.
4. Serve hot with a side of chili oil and limes.