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AI-generated photograph: A deep handleless black stoneware bowl of clear amber broth with short glossy pork ribs, torn oyster mushrooms and lemongrass pieces, a scatter of coriander, mint and toasted rice on the surface, steam rising, seen from a low side angle

Home · Recipes · Tom saep, hot and sour pork rib soup

Isan (north east Thai) · Soups and starters

Tom saep, hot and sour pork rib soup

pork ribs · lemongrass and galangal · lime and dried chilli

AI-generated photograph

Tom saep is the north east of Thailand's answer to tom yum: a clear, fiercely sour and hot broth of pork ribs simmered with lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves. It is finished off the heat with lime, fish sauce, dried chilli and toasted rice, and a big handful of herbs.

Contains: fish, as written. Fish (fish sauce). Check the fish sauce has no wheat added. Khao khua is pure toasted rice, and sticky rice contains no gluten despite its other name, glutinous rice; if you buy it ready made, check the label for anything else.

Ingredients

  • 800g pork spare ribs, cut into short pieces about 4cm long (ask the butcher)
  • 1.5 litres cold water
  • 3 lemongrass stalks, tough outer layer removed, cut into 5cm lengths and bashed
  • 30g galangal (a hard, peppery cousin of ginger), thinly sliced
  • 6 makrut lime leaves (fragrant leaves of the makrut lime), torn
  • 4 small shallots, peeled and halved
  • 150g oyster mushrooms, torn into pieces
  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 4 tablespoons lime juice (about 3 limes)
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons dried chilli flakes
  • 2 tablespoons khao khua (toasted sticky rice ground to a coarse powder), bought from a Thai shop or made at home, see the tips
  • A handful each of coriander leaves and mint leaves
  • 2 spring onions, sliced

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Let's cook

  1. Put the ribs in a large pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Boil for 3 minutes, then drain and rinse the ribs and the pan. This first boil gives you a clear broth.
  2. Return the ribs to the clean pan with the 1.5 litres of cold water, the lemongrass, galangal, half the lime leaves and the shallots. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a gentle simmer.
  3. Simmer, partly covered, for 1 hour, skimming off any foam. The pork is ready when it is tender and starts to come away from the bone, and there is no pink left near the bone.
  4. Add the mushrooms and the rest of the lime leaves and simmer for 5 minutes more.
  5. Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice and chilli flakes. Adding the lime off the heat keeps it bright; boiled lime turns bitter.
  6. Taste: it should be very sour, salty and hot, in that order. Add more lime or fish sauce if needed.
  7. Ladle into deep bowls, sprinkle each with khao khua and scatter over the coriander, mint and spring onions. Eat the ribs with your fingers.

Tips

  • To make khao khua yourself, toast 3 tablespoons of uncooked sticky rice in a dry frying pan on a medium low heat, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes until deep golden and smelling of popcorn. Cool, then grind to coarse sand in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. It keeps for 2 weeks in a sealed jar.
  • The lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves are there for flavour; push them aside as you eat.
  • Cool any leftover broth within 2 hours, keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days, and bring it back to a full boil before you add fresh lime and herbs.

Swaps

  • Cheaper: use 800g bone-in chicken thighs, chopped, and simmer for 40 minutes until cooked through.
  • No oyster mushrooms: use chestnut mushrooms, quartered.

Our own recipe. The photograph is AI-generated.

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