Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Pho

We know that the main reason they sell those rotisserie chickens in supermarkets is because they make the store smell good, and when people smell good food, they want to buy it. We know this. And yet, well, they smell good. So we buy them. Occasionally. Obviously we prefer to buy a roaster and roast it ourselves but now and then even we are too busy to cook.

Thus we found ourselves with some leftover rotisserie chicken the same day we saw this recipe for Vietnamese Beef and Noodle Soup (Pho Bo) on the Chicago Tribune website. A substitution here, a little tweaking there, and here's our adaptation, a recipe for Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Pho. This could be our new chicken noodle soup!!!

Ingredients:

5 whole cloves

4 thin slices peeled ginger root

pinch of anise seed

1 cinnamon stick

6 cups chicken broth

1 onion, sliced

1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 8-ounce package rice stick noodles

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 shallots, sliced

2 cups leftover rotisserie chicken, sliced into bite-sized pieces

1 small bunch cilantro

1 cup bean sprouts

1 green onion, sliced

1 lime, quartered

sriracha or hot sauce to taste

Combine cloves, ginger, anise seed, cinnamon stick, broth, sliced onion, peppercorns and salt in a large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. When it is done, strain it and return it to low heat to stay warm. Meanwhile, place the rice sticks in a bowl, cover with warm water, and allow to soak for 15-20 minutes. Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium high heat and add the shallots; cook until golden brown, then set aside. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Drain the rice sticks and place them in small batches into the boiling water until tender but still firm, about 15 seconds. Drain and divide noodles into soup bowls. Divide the chicken and shallots among the bowls and ladle the broth on top. Divide the cilantro, bean sprouts, green onions and lime wedges among the bowls and drizzle with sriracha or hot sauce to taste.