Thai Rice Soup (Khao Tom)

Discover ways to make comforting Khao Tom in simply 20 minutes! Made with easy-to-find components, this traditional Thai rice soup seems like an elevated model of the a lot liked rooster and noodle soup.

I prefer to make myself a bowl of Khao Tom soup each time I’ve day-old rice and need one thing apart from fried rice. It’s fast, tasty, and hits the spot after I’m craving conventional Southeast Asian flavors.

Though it’s generally eaten for breakfast in Thailand, this soup is simply pretty much as good for lunch, dinner, or anytime you need a simple, nourishing meal that received’t weigh you down. It’s savory and delicate and likewise very versatile. Whereas my model of Khao Tom incorporates fish balls, it can be made with tofu, rooster, and different proteins.

What’s Khao Tom?

Khao Tom is a standard Thai rice soup made by simmering day-old rice in broth till the grains are mushy and aromatic. It’s someplace between a rice soup and a congee.

It’s usually flavored with garlic, fish sauce, and a contact of sugar, then topped with contemporary cilantro, inexperienced onions, and white or black pepper. Protein choices range and may embody fish balls, floor rooster, shrimp, or pork.

Khao Tom Substances

• Aromatics: The garlic and celery construct the bottom of this soup by infusing it with delicate, clear, and barely candy flavors. Collectively, they create a fragile basis that enhances the rice and broth as an alternative of competing with them. That is why Khao Tom tastes soothing and balanced fairly than intensely spiced.
• Broth: A mixture of rooster broth, fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar, offers the soup its traditional Thai style.
• Protein: Fish balls are generally used and hold the soup on the lighter facet, whereas floor rooster makes it extra filling.
• Toppings: Coriander leaves and stems add freshness and a pleasant herbaceous style, whereas the inexperienced onions add sharpness and a pleasant crunch.

Learn how to Make Khao Tom

1. Prepare dinner the garlic and celery: Begin by warming the oil in a medium pot over medium-high warmth. As soon as it’s scorching, add the garlic and celery and allow them to prepare dinner till aromatic. You’re not on the lookout for shade right here — simply sufficient warmth to melt the celery and launch the aroma of the garlic.
2. Add the components for the broth: Pour within the rooster broth, adopted by the fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. Give all the things a very good stir and convey the soup to a mild boil.
3. Add the rice and let simmer: Add the cooked rice and decrease the warmth. Let the soup simmer for a couple of minutes so the rice can soak up among the broth. The objective is a light-weight, soupy consistency, not a thick porridge.
4. Add the protein: As soon as the rice has softened, add the fish balls. Hold the soup at a gradual simmer till the fish balls are totally cooked.
5. Serve: Flip off the warmth and ladle the soup into bowls. End with loads of chopped cilantro, inexperienced onions, and a beneficiant pinch of floor pepper proper earlier than serving.

Storage and Reheating

Fridge: Retailer the leftovers in an hermetic container and refrigerate for as much as 2 days.

Reheat: Switch the leftover soup to a pot and reheat on low. It’s possible you’ll want so as to add a splash of broth or water if the soup has thickened and is wanting like congee.

Incessantly Requested Questions

What To Serve With Khao Tom

Khao Tom pairs effectively with easy sides similar to vegetable egg rolls and edamame with soy and sesame sauce. Topping the soup with some pickled greens add some tanginess and makes the flavors soar.

If you’re on the lookout for one thing extra filling, I counsel making a full Thai unfold and serving it with fashionable dishes similar to Thai basil rooster, pad thai, or panang curry.

Did you want this soup? Are there adjustments you made that you simply wish to share? Share your ideas and suggestions within the feedback part beneath!

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