Healthy Vietnamese Chicken Pho with Zoodles | ASpicyPerspective.comThis healthy Vietnamese Chicken Pho with Zoodles is gluten free, paleo, and soooo tantalizing!

Spicy & Healthy Vietnamese Chicken Pho with Zoodles (Gluten Free & Paleo!) | ASpicyPerspective.com
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Vietnamese cuisine is one of our family’s absolute favorite things to eat.

After moving away from a city with a large Vietnamese population and great Vietnamese restaurants, we were hard-pressed to find a good bowl of pho anywhere in our new small mountain town.

Best Healthy Vietnamese Chicken Pho with Zoodles | ASpicyPerspective.com

Needless to say, I started cooking Vietnamese dishes at home.

After several years of recreating noodle dishes, Bahn Mi sandwiches, and soups, we finally discovered a new pho shop in town.

Making Healthy Vietnamese Chicken Pho with Zoodles (Gluten Free & Paleo!) | ASpicyPerspective.com

Vietnamese Pho is a spiced broth and noodle soup, made with various thinly sliced meats, and loaded with fresh garnishes like mung bean sprouts, basil leaves, and jalapeno slices. The broth is made with rich earthy spices like cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom so it offers a truly unique flavor.

How to Make Healthy Vietnamese Chicken Pho with Zoodles (Gluten Free & Paleo!) | ASpicyPerspective.com

When we eat pho at a restaurant I usually go with beef pho, or even shaved meatball. However at home, I like to make pho with chicken thighs to create a really fabulous brothy soup base.

I also like to clean this already healthy soup up even more by eliminating the noodles and using “zoodles” AKA zucchini zoodles instead. This small change makes this recipe gluten free and paleo-friendly!

Making Chicken Pho with Zoodles (Gluten Free & Paleo!) | ASpicyPerspective.com

Today’s Vietnamese Chicken Pho with Zoodles is just about the best tasting healthy soup recipe you’ll ever try, if I do say so myself.

It’s bold, well balanced, and bursting with fresh ingredients. The zoodles soften in the broth giving them the texture of pasta, so you really truly don’t even miss the carbs.

Perfect Healthy Vietnamese Chicken Pho with Zoodles (Gluten Free & Paleo!) | ASpicyPerspective.com

In fact, the first time I made Vietnamese Chicken Pho with Zoodles instead of traditional rice noodles, my boys sneered at me… Until they tasted it.

After devouring a couple bowls each, they admitted they wouldn’t have noticed the zoodles had I not told them about the change.

Must-Make Healthy Vietnamese Chicken Pho with Zoodles (Gluten Free & Paleo!) | ASpicyPerspective.com

Vietnamese Chicken Pho with Zoodles is on my shortlist of healthy meals my family will always be happy to see on the dinner table.

I bet yours will feel the same!

Our Favorite Healthy Vietnamese Chicken Pho with Zoodles (Gluten Free & Paleo!) | ASpicyPerspective.com

Spicy & Healthy Vietnamese Chicken Pho with Zoodles (Gluten Free & Paleo!) | ASpicyPerspective.com
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Vietnamese Chicken Pho with Zoodles

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Healthy Vietnamese Chicken Pho with Zoodles - Pho Soup Recipe made gluten free (and paleo) by using zucchini noodles instead of pasta.
Servings: 6

Ingredients

For the Chicken Pho:

Raw Add-Ins and Garnishes:

  • 4 zucchini
  • 1 cup loose thai basil
  • 5 ounces mung bean sprouts
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges
  • 1 bunch scallions, chopped
  • 1-2 jalapeños, sliced
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

  • Place a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion wedges, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, cardamom, and coconut oil. Saute the onions and spices for about 10 minutes, stirring to brown the onions on all sides.
  • Pour in the water, fish sauce, sugar, salt, and turmeric. Then add the chicken thighs and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat if needed, and simmer for 30 minutes. (P.S. Fish sauce smells like moldy feet while cooking, but tastes amazing! Don't worry about the aroma, and don't skip it.)
  • Use a skimmer to pull all the chicken, onions, and spices out of the broth. Reserve the chicken thighs and discard everything else. Chop the chicken thighs into small pieces and add back to the broth.
  • Meanwhile, use a spiralizer to cut the zucchini into noodles. Chop and prep all other garnishes.
  • When ready to serve, place a handful of "zoodles" into each bowl. Ladle the chicken pho soup into each bowl. Then let each person garnish their own bowl with basil, sprouts, lime, scallions, jalapeños, and cilantro.

Notes

NOTE: We usually set out chili-garlic sauce to spice up our bowl of pho, but the jalapeños will definitely do the trick!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup, Calories: 223kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 107mg, Sodium: 1545mg, Potassium: 778mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 635IU, Vitamin C: 36.1mg, Calcium: 92mg, Iron: 2.4mg
Course: Gluten free, Main Course
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Author: Sommer Collier
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