I love pho for breakfast or lunch to get a jumpstart on some wholesome nutrition and hydration. Making pho doesn't have to be complicated with long hours boiling stock and a separate process for cooking the protein. In this recipe, the broth and chicken are made in a single step using the Instant Pot, resulting in tender chicken that can be saved and used throughout the week.

I love using whole chicken because it's often more affordable than chicken parts, and the broth becomes more flavorful. A small chicken works best, ideally under 4 lbs.

Leftover chicken shreds can be used in noodle dishes, cold noodle dishes, and salads for extra protein.

Which noodles?

Someone once asked me what the word for "noodles" was in Chinese. Truth be told, there are so many words for noodles based on the shape, style, and ingredients! Pho is typically made with rice noodles. Most dried rice noodles are gluten free, but when shopping beware of noodles that contain "wheat starch", which can especially be found in the fresh noodle section. Wheat starch is not gluten free and best to avoid if you cannot eat gluten.

Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker

1. Fill Instant Pot. In the instant pot, add your chicken, ginger, onion quarters, black peppercorn, bay leaves, salt, and fish sauce. Fill with cold water until the chicken breast is covered, but stay below the maximum line. Use the "Poultry" setting or turn it on for High at 15 minutes.
2. Separate. Pull the chicken out and let cool. Next, strain the broth into a container.
3. Shred the chicken. Using your hands, shred the chicken into chopstick-size pieces.
4. Assemble the pho. In a separate pot, cook your noodles per the package instructions and poach vegetables. Once cooked, arrange noodles, vegetables, and chicken in a bowl. Ladle broth on top. Enjoy!