Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe (Súp Nui Gà)

This is perfect, simple cold weather soup. If you haven’t built up the courage to try the bitter melon soup I posted the other week,  Vietnamese chicken soup with elbow macaroni might be a simpler start :).

What’s that you say? Elbow macaroni isn’t Vietnamese?…hmm. You’re right, you’d probably never find this soup served in Vietnam or in any Vietnamese restaurants. This is strictly some homemade chicken soup you’ll find in Vietnamese-American homes.

Vietnamese chicken noodle soup, if you will, or súp nui gà.

Vietnamese chicken soup with elbow macaroni! | HungryHuy.com

This is another dish I grew up with as a kid, and I was so excited whenever mom or grandma was making it! In the original Vietnamese version of this, you’d use mung bean noodles instead–the macaroni is simply a switch made out of convenience in the US and it tastes great too!

I think this soup is an easy sell for those not yet comfortable with Vietnamese cuisine. It’s incredibly simple, fairly tame (no weird bits), and not too far a stretch from American chicken noodle soup. The few hints of Vietnamese especially come through here with the addition of cilantro, scallion, and a smidge of sambal for kick.

This is one of those simple foods you can make a big ol’ pot of and eat for a week.

2 bowls of yummy Vietnamese chicken soup with elbow macaroni | HungryHuy.com

The Luxury Of Options

Simple food like this soup is always very humbling to me.

Let’s take a second and think about how fortunate we are to have food. How fortunate we are to have options at all. I have it on good authority (mom :)) that many of the folks in Vietnam grew up incredibly poor.

Consider this–it’s common to have under 1/4 pound of meat shared between an entire family for a meal, if you were fortunate to have meat at all! Meanwhile in America, we have the option of things like ‘Quarter Pounders,’ ‘Double-Doubles,’ and all you can eat BBQ!

If you cooked at home each week, you really could pay for a whole month’s worth of food with 1 day’s worth of pay. The super-poor in Vietnam work their butts off for an entire month and still are forced to eat just rice with fish sauce.

I’m sure I was told some version of that repeatedly as a child, but it was never processed. But yes, I’m fortunate and thankful for it! If you want a Filipino version of chicken soup, you can try my chicken tinola recipe.

Choosing Chicken

Choose chicken with bones and darker meat for better flavor. The more chicken you use to make the broth, the better it’ll taste! The only problem you’ll have is a ton of leftover chicken. You can use leftover boiled chicken to make Vietnamese chicken salad (goi ga), or bun thang (another Viet rice noodle soup)—recipes coming soon!

Anyway, here’s how to make some of that humbling, Vietnamese chicken soup!

More tasty chicken soups to try

Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup Pinterest Image

Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe (Súp Nui Gà)

5 from 7 votes
The easy to make and comforting Vietnamese twist on chicken noodle soup that I ate as a child growing up.
BY: Huy Vu
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
SERVINGS: 8

Ingredients

  • 4 lb (1.8 kg) of chicken bone-in preferred or 3 pounds of boneless chicken
  • 1 large yellow or white onion or 2 medium sized onions, quartered.
  • 2 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp MSG (monosodium glutamate) optional
  • 16 oz dried elbow macaroni

Garnish

Instructions 

  • Add chicken, onion, salt, sugar, and MSG into a large pot. Add enough water to cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. It should take about 10-15 minutes of simmering to finish.
  • Meanwhile, boil your macaroni in a separate pot of water until al dente, then drain.
  • Check the doneness of the chicken as each 1-2 minutes pass. The chicken should be white in the center and have the juices run clear. Adjust seasoning as needed.
  • Remove chicken, let it cool, then pull into shreds with your fingers or a fork.
  • Add to a bowl macaroni, some broth, chicken, and garnish with chopped cilantro and scallion. Top with sambal and serve!
Nutrition Facts
Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe (Súp Nui Gà)
Serving Size
 
0 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
246
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
16
g
25
%
Saturated Fat
 
5
g
31
%
Cholesterol
 
82
mg
27
%
Sodium
 
1823
mg
79
%
Potassium
 
226
mg
6
%
Carbohydrates
 
3
g
1
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
2
g
2
%
Protein
 
20
g
40
%
Vitamin A
 
152
IU
3
%
Vitamin C
 
3
mg
4
%
Calcium
 
15
mg
2
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Keyword: chicken noodle soup, Vietnamese chicken noodle soup, Vietnamese Soup
Did you cook this recipe?Tag @HungryHuy or #hungryhuy–I’d love to see it!

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16 comments on “Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe (Súp Nui Gà)

  1. Theresa says:

    Wow! Your website is a gold mine of Vietnamese-American recipes!!! These are the foods, values, and stories that I grew up on with my own grandmother…almost exactly. By the time I appreciated the richness and value in my grsndmother’s cooking, I had moved too far away to really learn from her. Thanks for sharing!

    1. Huy says:

      Hey Theresa, I’m glad you enjoy the recipes here and thanks for commenting! I really do wish I paid more attention when grandma cooked so often way back when. Sometimes it’s difficult to know what you’re missing out on until it’s gone right? It makes me stop to think about and appreciate everything that’s here now as well.

  2. Hangeroo says:

    Whoa!! You win the Internet today! I’ve been looking for this recipe forever! I was beginning to think only my mom made this since various youtubers and popular Vietnamese blogs/sites had every doggone (repetitive) soup/stew recipe, but this one. I loved eating this as a kid and have been craving it as an adult. BTW, thanks for adding the traditional MSG. I know people are freaks about it, but if it’s good enough for grandma (not to mention the millions and billions who’ve used it throughout the decades…and still use it now — Doritos, anyone? LOL), it’s good enough for me. LOL! Besides, it’s an optional ingredient for those whom don’t care for it for whatever reasons. I’m all about authenticity and tradition. I know how to add/remove ingredients for my own palate or supposed health (if I choose). Thank you so much for posting a humble, everyday recipe. I hope to see more in the future such as the tomato-based soups with thin slices of beef, the omelet with ground pork, etc.

    1. Huy says:

      Hangeroo, that is quite the prize :). I wanted to post it because it’s something I loved to eat. Since it might be too simple to sell in a restaraunt, maybe being forced to cook it at home is a win. Also yeah the MSG improves the flavor. Sometimes people can tell if it’s not present, and not know it was the MSG. Doritos…lol, where would the snack food industry be without it?

      It’s great to hear from you, and that you care about these humble homestyle recipes too! I will definitely consider doing more 🙂

  3. Kim says:

    I think I’m blind but I don’t see how much water to cook the chicken in? Is it just enough to cover the chicken or an exact amount?

    1. Huy says:

      Yep Kim, its just enough to cover the chicken so this will change depending on the size of your pot. This is why in step 3 you’ll have to taste it and adjust the seasoning until it tastes good to you. Let me know if you have more questions!

  4. DkNNy79 says:

    Thanks for the recipe Huy (that’s my little brother’s name). My mom made this for us growing up and I’ve been meaning to ask her for the recipe. I was naïve to think she this was her own concoction. I would love for you to tackle “bun rieu” one of my favorite soups!

    1. Huy says:

      Thank YOU for checking out my recipe! Despite it not being her recipe, somehow the way mom makes it tends to be irreplaceable :).

      And you know what? My bún riêu post is already underway! If you’re not already, subscribe to my e-mail list so you don’t miss when it’s published. Take care!

  5. kristy says:

    I used to think only my uncle made this, I cant believe I found this recipe! Btw we are in Australia, so you could say it’s Vietnamese-Australian too!

  6. Frank Furter says:

    5 stars
    I made this tonight, it was AWESOME! I was wanting some goold ‘ol fashioned chicken noodle soup, but always looking for a way to add a Vietnamese twist to things.

    On its own, it was great, and would easily satisfy anyone. I tried to kick it up a notch by making as directed, but then strained the broth, returning to pan, then adding in some fish sauce, star anise, cinnamon stick, and a bundle of cilantro stems. I let that simmer while I made the pasta. I also added in some Thai Basil I had growing, and I gotta tell you – it’s not Pho Ga, but about 20X easier (and close enough that it pushes that pho button! 🙂

    Thanks for the inspiration, I added it to my recipe app.

  7. Christi Z says:

    Hey Huy! Did your mom or grandmother ever make rice soup for you? Mine makes this rice soup that she ‘says’ is so simple to make. She claims it only has shredded chicken, rice and black pepper in it, but I swear it tastes more complex than that! Would love to find a recipe for it if you have one.

    Thanks for all the great recipes! I keep finding more and more recipes that I just have to try. I’m going to make a few for my mom as a surprise for her! Wish me luck!

    1. Huy says:

      Hey Christi! Yes, I believe you’r talking about cháo! It is very simple to make. My paternal grandma just made it a few weeks ago after Thanksgiving. Add turkey/chicken bones into a pot with an onion, fresh ginger, rice, water and season with fish sauce. Dinner for a week!

  8. Jacqueline says:

    5 stars
    My mom made this for me as a kid and still makes it! I thought it was just her!

  9. Jennifer says:

    Fish sauce isn’t needed?

  10. Natalie L. says:

    5 stars
    Hi, Huy! I stumbled across this recipe after finding your bún thang recipe. This is so nostalgic. Decades ago, Mẹ used to make this for me all the time when I was a kid and I (like some others, apparently!!) thought it was just something she whipped up on her own. (I’m still gonna keep believing that.) I’m so glad I’ve come across a Vietnamese food website written by someone who shares the same Vietnamese experience as me (down to all the Northern-ness). Thank you for all your posts!

    1. Huy @ Hungry Huy says:

      Hey Natalie the nostalgia factor is a big one for what becomes a lot of our favorites’ isn’t it?? 🙂 glad to have you here!

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