Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup

Instructions

1. Prepare the bones and chicken
   Rinse the chicken bones and whole chicken under cold water. Place in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and let boil for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse the pot and the chicken to remove impurities. This will result in a clearer broth.
2. Start the broth
   Return the chicken and bones to the clean pot. Add 5 quarts of cold water, the charred onions, and ginger. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce to low. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
3. Add aromatics
   Toast the star anise, cinnamon, cloves, and coriander seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add to the broth using a spice sachet or directly. Add the fish sauce and sugar. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour, occasionally skimming the surface.
4. Prepare the chicken meat
   After 25-30 minutes of simmering, remove the whole chicken from the pot. Let it cool slightly, then separate the meat from the bones. Return the bones to the broth and continue simmering. Shred the chicken meat and refrigerate until ready to serve.
5. Strain the broth
   After the broth has simmered for a total of 1.5 hours, remove from heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a clean pot. Season with additional fish sauce to taste. Keep hot over low heat.
6. Prepare the noodles
   Cook the rice noodles according to package instructions until just tender. Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent sticking. Divide the noodles among serving bowls.
7. Assemble the soup
   Top each bowl of noodles with shredded chicken, thinly sliced white onion, and sliced green onions. Ladle the hot broth over the noodles and chicken. The heat from the broth will lightly cook the raw onions.
8. Serve with garnishes
   Place all garnishes on a platter and serve alongside the soup. Let each person add their desired garnishes such as bean sprouts, Thai basil, cilantro, lime wedges, sliced chilies, hoisin sauce, and sriracha to customize their bowl to taste.