Thai Pork Rice Soup (Khao Tom Moo)

A comforting breakfast soup of jasmine rice and peppery pork meatballs in a ginger broth, finished with fried garlic.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 25 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 55 minutes
Vegetarian
❌
Nuts
❌
Serves
4 people
Difficulty
Very Easy

Ingredients

  • 150g jasmine rice, rinsed
  • 1.2 litres chicken stock
  • 300g minced pork
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 coriander roots, or the lower stems, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp ground white pepper
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 3cm fresh root ginger, cut into matchsticks
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 3 spring onions, sliced
  • small handful fresh coriander leaves
  • 3 tbsp fried garlic, shop-bought or home-made
  • 2 bird's eye chillies, sliced, in 4 tbsp rice vinegar, to serve

Method

  1. Combine the pork, garlic, coriander roots, half the white pepper and the soy sauce. Mix well and roll into small balls about 2cm wide.

  2. Bring the stock to the boil in a large saucepan. Add the rice and ginger, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is soft and starting to break down.

  3. Drop the meatballs into the soup and simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes until cooked through.

  4. Season with the fish sauce and the remaining white pepper. The soup should be loose and porridge-like; add a splash of water if it is too thick.

  5. Ladle into bowls and top with spring onions, coriander and fried garlic. Serve with the chillies in vinegar at the table.