This is the most underrated Vietnamese noodle soup! This is miến gà, also known as Vietnamese chicken noodle soup. This soup is often referred to as a lighter pho, with similar aromatics but less of the potent star anise and licorice spices. My version comes together in 30 minutes with a good quality store-bought broth but has the same authentic flavors as the real deal!
This makes for a comforting, low effort soup anytime of the year! I like to meal prep this and my chicken pho congee on Sundays during the winter months and alternate eating them throughout the week for lunch and dinner. It's an easy way to get some protein in while also staying warm!
What is Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup (Miến gà)?
Miến gà, often called Vietnamese glass noodle soup, is a simple Vietnamese chicken noodle soup made with glass noodles, chicken, and a light, savory broth. “Miến” refers to the type of noodle used in this dish. Bean thread noodle, mung bean noodle or cellophane noodles are all translucent noodles that are commonly used in this dish. Just don't confuse it for vermicelli noodles which are white and not translucent!
"Gà” in miến gà means chicken. Mien ga is most commonly made with a whole chicken but as a shortcut, I used a good quality store bought broth to shorten the cooking time. Season the store bought broth with fish sauce, salt, rock sugar and aromatics to really give it that authentic Vietnamese chicken noodle soup flavor! It’s a quick, everyday soup that’s comforting without being too heavy.
What’s so great about Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup (Miến Gà)?
This miến gà is kind of the best of both worlds. It has the clean, comforting broth of a simple Vietnamese chicken soup, with flavors that are similar to chicken pho, just made quicker, easier, and without the star anise and licorice flavors!
The broth comes together with ginger, onion, scallion whites and chicken. The glass noodles soak everything up so it still feels really satisfying even though it’s light. It seems like a simple recipe, but once you add crispy garlic, fried shallots, and fresh herbs on top, the flavor is anything but simple!
Why you’ll love this Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup (Miến Gà)
- Comes together quickly – You can have a full bowl of miến gà ready in about 30 minutes.
- Simple but really good – The broth is light, gingery, and comforting without being too heavy.
- Nothing complicated – Everything is made with ingredients you probably already have.
- Great for meal prepping – Make it at the beginning of the week and reheat it throughout the week for a quick lunch or dinner!
- Similar to chicken pho – Tastes similar to chicken pho but is lighter without all the spices!
Jump to:
- What is Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup (Miến gà)?
- What’s so great about Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup (Miến Gà)?
- Why you’ll love this Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup (Miến Gà)
- Ingredients
- How to make Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup (Miến Gà)
- Top tips for the best Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup (Miến Gà)
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to store and reheat Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup
- FAQ
- Other recipes to try:
- Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup (Mien ga in 30 minutes)
Ingredients
- Glass noodles (miến): Use bean thread noodles, mung bean noodles, or cellophane noodles for this Vietnamese chicken noodle soup. I prefer mung bean noodles for the extra boost of fiber!
- Boneless chicken: Use boneless chicken thighs or chicken breast for quicker cooking! I like to use half chicken thighs and half chicken breast for a healthy balance of lean protein. For an even quicker shortcut, use shredded rotisserie chicken!
- Chicken broth: Since we're not using chicken bones here to develop our own broth, a good quality store-bought broth is crucial here! I like using Aneto Chicken broth but feel free to use your favorite store-bought broth.
- Ginger: Adds warm aroma to the broth.
- Onion: Adds a subtle sweetness to the broth.
- Fish sauce: Adds depth and umami to the soup. I love using Red Boat Fish Sauce for a potent fish sauce flavor.
- Rock sugar: To add subtle sweetness to balance out the fish sauce.
- Garlic: Minced and fried until lightly golden brown.
- Shallots: Thinly sliced and fried until crispy. Added as a garnish
- Scallions: The green part is used for garnishing and the white part is used to flavor the broth!
- Cilantro: For garnishing.
- Black pepper: Use freshly cracked pepper for garnishing.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup (Miến Gà)
- Step 1: To a large pot, add chicken thighs, chicken broth, water, rock sugar, turmeric powder, ginger, onion, and green onion whites. Simmer for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- Step 2: While the chicken is simmering, add the garlic to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
- Step 3: To a pan over low heat, add neutral oil. Once it starts lightly smoking, add the garlic and fry until lightly golden.
- Step 4: Drain the fried garlic through a fine mesh sieve over a heat-safe bowl. Allow the garlic to crisp up and then add it back into the garlic oil. Set aside.
- Step 5: To the same pan, add more neutral oil. Add sliced shallots and fry until lightly golden. Drain through a fine mesh sieve and set aside.
- Step 6: Bring a separate pot of water to a boil. Add bean thread noodles and cook until softened and translucent. Drain, rinse and set aside.
- Step 7: Once the chicken is cooked through, remove onion and ginger from the pot. Skim off any impurities in the broth. Season the broth with fish sauce and salt to taste.
- Step 8: Remove the chicken, shred it and set aside.
- Step 9: To assemble, add cooked noodles to a bowl with shredded chicken. Ladle the broth over top and garnish with scallion greens, cilantro, freshly cracked black pepper, fried shallots, and fried garlic with garlic oil.
Top tips for the best Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup (Miến Gà)
- Use fresh aromatics for more flavor.
- Add a little sugar to balance out the umami.
- Use a combination of chicken thighs and chicken breast for a good balance of lean protein!
- Drain the fried garlic and shallots over a fine mesh sieve for the best crispy texture and flavor.
- Rinse the noodles under cold water to stop the cooking and to remove any excess starch.
- Season to taste with fish sauce and salt.
Substitutions and Variations
- Noodles – Swap bean thread noodles with rice noodles if you prefer something a little heartier.
- Protein – Use shredded rotisserie chicken for an even easier and quicker recipe!
- Broth – Make your own using chicken bones for a deeper chicken flavor.
- Garnishes –
- Use store bought fried shallots to cut down a step.
- Drizzle a little garlic chili oil for a kick of heat!
How to store and reheat Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup
Store the broth, chicken, cooked noodles, fried garlic and shallots in separate air tight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. When reheating, warm the broth gently on the stovetop. Add in the chicken and noodles until warmed through. Garnish with scallions, cilantro, fried garlic, and shallots right before serving so everything stays crisp and vibrant.
FAQ
It’s a light, comforting Vietnamese chicken noodle soup made with chicken, ginger, scallions and onion, served with noodles and fresh herbs. It’s simple, clean, and all about letting the broth shine.
Mien in mien ga refers to any type of glass noodle. You can use bean thread noodles, mung bean noodles or cellophane noodles. They're thin, bouncy and turn translucent when cooked! They soak up the broth beautifully and are the main component to this dish.
The soup is done when the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
Yes! Store the broth, chicken, cooked noodles, fried garlic and shallots in separate air tight containers. To reheat, reheat the broth on the stove. Add noodles and chicken and heat until warmed through.
Glass noodles are what differentiate this noodle soup from other Vietnamese noodle soups, but you can definitely substitute it for rice noodles if that's all you have!
Other recipes to try:
- My high protein miso egg drop soup
- High protein spicy vodka pasta
- My sardine shakshuka
- Vietnamese style mayak eggs
Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup (Mien ga in 30 minutes)
Ingredients
- 3 scallions whites chopped into thirds
- 1 large yellow onion halved
- 6 slices fresh ginger
- 1 32 oz container of chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 ¼ lb chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon rock sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 2 servings of bean thread or mung bean noodles
- 2-3 shallots thinly sliced
- 1 head of garlic
To garnish
- Scallion greens sliced
- Fresh cilantro chopped
- Black pepper freshly cracked
Instructions
- To a large pot, add chicken thighs, chicken broth, water, rock sugar, turmeric powder, ginger, onion, and green onion whites. Simmer for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- While the chicken is simmering, add the garlic to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
- To a pan over low heat, add neutral oil. Once it starts lightly smoking, add the garlic and fry until lightly golden.
- Drain the fried garlic through a fine mesh sieve over a heat-safe bowl. Allow the garlic to crisp up and then add it back into the garlic oil. Set aside.
- To the same pan, add more neutral oil. Add sliced shallots and fry until lightly golden. Drain through a fine mesh sieve and set aside.
- Bring a separate pot of water to a boil. Add bean thread noodles and cook until softened and translucent. Drain, rinse and set aside.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, remove onion and ginger from the pot. Skim off any impurities in the broth. Season the broth with fish sauce and salt to taste.
- Remove the chicken, shred it and set aside.
- To assemble, add cooked noodles to a bowl with shredded chicken. Ladle the broth over top and garnish with scallion greens, cilantro, freshly cracked black pepper, fried shallots, and fried garlic with garlic oil.
Video
Notes
- Use fresh aromatics for more flavor.
- Add a little sugar to balance out the umami.
- Use a combination of chicken thighs and chicken breast for a good balance of lean protein!
- Drain the fried garlic and shallots over a fine mesh sieve for the best crispy texture and flavor.
- Rinse the noodles under cold water to stop the cooking and to remove any excess starch.
- Season to taste with fish sauce and salt.
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