Easy Chicken Pho + Pacific Natural Foods Giveaway!

If you’ve never had pho, I was right there with you until just a few weeks ago. I knew it was a Vietnamese soup (the national dish of Vietnam, it turns out), that it was pronounced “fuh” rather than “foe” and that a lot of people really love it. Like love it.

Happily, pho is no longer a mystery to me. I have now tried it both at a restaurant (Nam An in Kearny Mesa, which came highly recommended by Twitter friends) as well as at home, using an organic pho starter from Pacific Natural Foods. What I enjoyed most about both versions were the bold, complex flavors of the broth and the myriad of condiments – bean sprouts, lime, chiles, culantro to name a few – that you can add in with your chicken and rice noodles to customize each spoonful. It’s such an incredible comfort food.

I wasn’t sure if the prepared broth – albeit an organic one without any preservatives – would measure up to the kind I’d find in a well-regarded Vietnamese restaurant. But I was definitely game to put it to the test. Read on for my comparison of the Easy Chicken Pho I made with the Pacific starter versus the restaurant version plus the chance to win a Pho Starter Kit.

Pho condiments

When it comes to broth, I believe homemade is best…but it’s not always the most convenient. It can take eight to ten hours to make a really good, flavorful-yet-clear pho broth (although there are recipes that require less time). The broth from Nam An was very rich and robust – the warm flavors and aromas of anise, ginger and cinnamon were just heavenly. The pho starter from Pacific was a bit milder but still very flavorful and aromatic. Often prepared stocks are really salty but in this case the starter seemed to have considerably less salt than the restaurant version. A flavorful organic broth that can be turned into delicious pho within 20 minutes and cuts back on the sodium sounds like a pretty nice option to me.

Pho Soup Starter Kit
Pho Soup Starter Kit (Photo: Pacific Natural Foods)

** Win a Pho Starter Kit from Pacific Natural Foods! **

Pacific Natural Foods would like to send one Cooking On the Side reader a Pho Starter Kit, which includes two organic soup starters, a soup bowl and spoon and chopsticks.

Here are four ways to enter – you can do any or all of them (please leave separate comments for each entry): [THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED]

  • Leave a comment on this post sharing your all-time favorite soup.
  • “Like” Cooking on the Side on Facebook
  • Subscribe to free updates from Cooking On the Side via e-mail or RSS
  • Follow me @paninikathy on Twitter

The giveaway will close Monday, October 31, 2011 at noon PDT. I will use random.org to select one winner to receive the Pho Starter Kit and announce the winner in this post. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

**UPDATE 11/1/11 – Congrats to our winners, #33 Pat R and #41 Catie (Pacific Natural Foods offered up a second prize, so we have two winners!)!

Pacific Natural Foods provided me with a Pho Starter Kit  to use in evaluating their product and is sponsoring today’s giveaway. All opinions expressed are, as always, entirely my own. 

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52 Comments

  1. Kari Stewart wrote:

    My all time favorite soup is my Mom’s recipe for “Corn Chowder.” However, it has way more than just corn in it! This yummy soup has corn, potatoes, bacon, onion (that has been sauted in the bacon fat…yum), etc. It’s deeelish! My kids like to put sour cream and shredded cheddar on top, but I prefer mine without. Thanks for the opportunity to enter to win the soup kit!

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  2. Kari Stewart wrote:

    I already like you on facebook! Thanks!

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  3. Kari Stewart wrote:

    I already subscribe to your email updates! Thanks again!

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  4. Kari Stewart wrote:

    I’m 1 of the 4 people left in America whom do not have a twitter acct. I’d follow you there if I did though! 🙂

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  5. Kalyn wrote:

    Pho was something I so wanted to love, but when I tried it in a restaurant (with Ted and Lydia) I found the flavor of the star anise overpowering. Sounds like I might like this version better. You don’t need to enter me in the give-away, but I will look for this.

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  6. Carissa wrote:

    Believe it or not, beef Pho is my favorite soup ever. I could eat it every day. When I order, I always get Tai Nam, flank and another cut I can’t remember, but it’s oh so good.

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
    • We got some beef pho as well at Nam An, it was outstanding!

      Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  7. Carissa wrote:

    I like you on Facebook!

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  8. Carissa wrote:

    Now following on Twitter (atexastwist)

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  9. Carissa wrote:

    Subscribed to email feed.

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  10. pam wrote:

    OMG! I love Pho. I must say that I never considered making at home, but the version I get for my take-out lunch is really good. Would love to get my hands on this giveaway. Cant wait to try it out!

    My favorite soups are Hot and Sour (chinese) as well as Broccoli and Cheese!

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
    • pam wrote:

      Already like you on Facebook.

      Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  11. Jey wrote:

    My favorite soup is definitely French Onion. I have to order it if it’s on a menu!!

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
    • I’m with you there on French Onion – if they’ve got it, I have to order it!

      Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  12. Jey wrote:

    I’m a Facebook fan!

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  13. Jey wrote:

    Following on Twitter!

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  14. Pam wrote:

    Now following you on twitter

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  15. pam wrote:

    Already subscribed via email.

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  16. erin wrote:

    I don’t think I have a favorite soup. I love chicken noodle when I am sick but I am fan of variety when it comes to the others! I would LOVE to try my hand at PHO! We have a few great PHO restaurants only a few blocks from our house and love a big old bowl on a cold Chicago day!

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  17. erin wrote:

    I am a facebook fan!

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  18. erin wrote:

    I subscribe to your blog via Google Reader!

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  19. Just one kind? I am a soupaholic! Miso comes to mind immediately. But roasted garlic is amazing too.

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  20. I like you on facebook!

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  21. Colleen wrote:

    Kudos to Pacific Natural for their awesome web site, where it was easy to find the allergen info I needed. I think I’m going to have to track down one of these pho starters and give it a try!

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  22. I follow you on twitter!

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  23. I subscribe to your feed via RSS. 🙂

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  24. Colleen wrote:

    Meant to ask a question too, though. What is “culantro”? I’ve never seen or heard of it before. Can you use something else (cilantro?) instead?

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
    • It’s new to me too. It’s in the same family as cilantro, the flavor is a bit similar.

      Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  25. Pam B wrote:

    I already like you on FB. My favorite soup is Lee Bailey’s Carrot Dill soup.
    Carrots, white potato, Sweet Potato, onions, chicken(or veggie) broth, butter(optional) and lots of fresh Dill. Delish!!

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  26. theresa wrote:

    I LOVE Pho soup, but all time favorite is probably lentils with spicy caribou sausage. Yum!!

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  27. Heidi Nicoll wrote:

    Pho is my all time favorite soup! love it!

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  28. Pat R wrote:

    I love chicken egg drop soup….yummmmm

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  29. Pat R wrote:

    I already “like” you on FB

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  30. Pat R wrote:

    I follow you by email and FB

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  31. Angela wrote:

    My all-time favorite soup is Stew Leonard’s New England Clam Chowder 🙂

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  32. Angela wrote:

    I like you on Facebook!

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  33. Angela wrote:

    I get your wonderful emails!

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  34. Angela wrote:

    I follow you on Twitter!

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  35. Shewanna wrote:

    Tied! Spicy lentil, sausage and kale soup OR lemon chicken and tortellini soup. yum!

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  36. Catie wrote:

    My all-time favorite soup is my mom’s potato soup – perfect for a cold winter night!

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  37. Catie wrote:

    I like Cooking On the Side on Facebook.

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  38. Catie wrote:

    I subscribe via Google Reader.

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  39. Catie wrote:

    I follow you on Twitter!

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  40. Amanda Thompson wrote:

    My all-time favorite soup is Clam Chowder!

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  41. Amanda Thompson wrote:

    I subscribe to Cooking On the Side via email!

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  42. Jeanette wrote:

    I would love to try Pacific’s pho starter broth – I’ve never seen it. Pho is one of my favorites, but it is a lot of work!

    Posted 10.27.11 Reply
  43. Cherl wrote:

    I love chicken noodle soup

    Posted 10.28.11 Reply
  44. Cherl wrote:

    Follow you on twitter

    Posted 10.28.11 Reply
  45. naomi wrote:

    We all need a shortcut sometimes. This sounds interesting, I’m going to have to give it a go and see if I can sneak it pass my mom. She is the pho queen in our large extended family.

    Posted 10.28.11 Reply
  46. delia wrote:

    The kit would be so fun to win! My fave soup is clam chowder.

    Posted 10.30.11 Reply