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Vietnamese-Style Chicken and Glass Noodle Soup

Vietnamese-Style Chicken and Glass Noodle Soup

  • Makes
    4 servings
  • Cook Time
    1 hour
  • Slow Cook Time
    3½ to 4 hours
  • Active time plus cooling
    25 minutes active
  • Rating

This light yet flavor-packed soup is our multicooker take on the Vietnamese dish called mien ga. Aromatics and whole chicken breasts are cooked in chicken broth; the solids are discarded before serving and the chicken is shredded into bite-size pieces. Glass noodles are also called cellophane noodles and bean threads. Dried, they are wiry and white; they turn translucent and bouncy when cooked. The noodles are often so long they’re unwieldy to serve and eat, so we snip them with kitchen shears into shorter lengths directly in the pot after cooking. Some brands also are thicker than others; refer to the package for approximate cooking times. If you like, offer some thinly sliced fresh chilies for adding to individual bowls.

Tip

Don’t trim off the root ends of the shallots. Leaving the root end intact prevents the layers from separating so the shallots are easier to remove after cooking. When prepping the cilantro, don’t worry about plucking the leaves from the stems. Instead, simply lop off the leafy top of the entire bunch; reserve the stems and leaves separately because they are used at different times.

Ingredients
  • 1

    whole star anise pod

  • 2

    large shallots, root end intact, halved

  • 1

    inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

  • 5

    dried shiitake mushrooms (about ½ ounce)

  • 1

    bunch fresh cilantro, stems and leaves reserved separately

  • 2

    boneless, skinless chicken breasts (8 to 10 ounces each)

  • 7

    cups low-sodium chicken broth

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 4

    ounces glass noodles

  • 1

    tablespoon fish sauce, plus more if needed

  • Lime wedges, to serve

Step 1

In a 6-quart Instant Pot, combine star anise, shallots, ginger, mushrooms, cilantro stems, chicken breasts, broth and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Step 2

Lock the lid in place and move the pressure valve to Sealing. Select Pressure Cook or Manual; make sure the pressure level is set to High. Set the cooking time for 5 minutes.

When pressure cooking is complete, allow the pressure to reduce naturally for 5 minutes, then release the remaining steam by moving the pressure valve to Venting. Press Cancel, then carefully open the pot.

Step 3

Using tongs, transfer the chicken and mushrooms to a plate and set aside. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out and discard the remaining solids in the broth.

Thinly slice the mushrooms, discarding any tough stems. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken into bite-size pieces. Select More/High Sauté and bring the broth to a boil.

Stir in the noodles and fish sauce, then cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 3 to 6 minutes. Press Cancel to turn off the pot.

Using kitchen shears, give the noodles a few snips directly in the pot to cut them into shorter lengths. Stir in the sliced mushrooms and chicken, then taste and season with fish sauce, if needed, and pepper.

Serve topped with additional pepper and cilantro leaves and with lime wedges on the side.