Ingredients
8 ounces dried rice noodles
1 stalk lemongrass
3 quarts (12 cups) chicken broth
4 to six ¼-inch slices of peeled fresh ginger
1 medium sweet onion, cut into quarters and thin slices
1 carrot, peeled, cut into 1” pieces
1 celery stalk, cut into 1” pieces
*(¼ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
6 black cardamom pods, crushed
4 whole star anise pods
2 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves)
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup Mae Ploy fish sauce
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch by 2-inch strips
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 pound fresh bean sprouts
1 bunch fresh Thai basil, chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges
1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and cut into thin slices
cilantro chopped
Peanuts, coarsely chopped
Chile-garlic sauce
Hoisin sauce
Soak the noodles in a large bowl of warm water for 30 minutes. Drain in a colander over the sink. Trim the bottom of the lemongrass stalk (approximately ¼ inch) and discard; remove the outer husk and cut the light green interior into ¼-inch slices.
(Meanwhile, heat broiler. Spread out halved ginger and onions on a rimmed baking sheet and broil, turning occasionally, until charred all over, 15–20 minutes. Add lemongrass, cardamom, star anise, cinnamon, and cloves to onions and ginger and broil until lightly charred and fragrant, about 1 minute.)
In a large Dutch oven simmer the chicken broth, lemongrass, ginger, onion, sugar, and fish sauce for 15 minutes. Add the chicken strips and presoaked rice noodles and cook uncovered for 10 more minutes.
Serve in deep soup bowls accompanied by a platter of green onion, bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime wedges, jalapenos, and peanuts. Let everyone flavor their own soup with chile-garlic sauce or hoisin sauce, and add their own garnishes.