Thai Rice Soup (Khao Tom)

The Thai Rice Soup known as Khao Tom is a comforting dish made with jasmine rice in a flavorful broth. Topped with seasoned pork, fried garlic, white pepper, and fresh herbs, it's a delicious choice for a Thai breakfast or when you need something easy on the stomach.

I love how comforting and approachable Khao Tom is. At its core, this Thai rice soup consists of cooked jasmine rice immersed in a savory Thai broth. But with the addition of toppings like seasoned ground pork, fresh herbs, white pepper, and crispy fried garlic, it transforms into a deeply flavorful and nourishing meal.

Khao Tom shares some similarities with Jok (Thai congee), as both are comforting Thai rice dishes often enjoyed for breakfast. However, while Jok is slow-cooked until the rice breaks down into a creamy, porridge-like consistency, Khao Tom is made by adding individual grains of cooked jasmine rice to a clear broth.

Whether you're hungry for breakfast, feeling under the weather, or just craving a bowl of something warm and restorative, Khao Tom is a delicious choice.

Why You'll Love Thai Rice Soup

• Comforting & Nourishing: This warm, brothy rice soup is light, easy to digest, and perfect for breakfast or a soothing meal any time of day. The flavorful broth helps with hydration, the rice offers energy, and the pork adds a satisfying boost of protein.
• Quick & Easy to Make: If you're like many Thai home cooks and have jasmine rice, a Thai-style broth, and fried garlic already made, this rice soup comes together in a matter of minutes.
• Customizable & Versatile: Although it's often made as presented here, there are many different options for the base flavor and toppings so you can customize this soup how you like.
• Mild Yet Flavorful: While the base of jasmine rice and broth are both fairly mild, the toppings add so much depth of flavor and aroma to the dish overall.

What does Khao Tom mean in Thai?

Khao is the Thai word for rice. Tom means "to boil" and is often used in reference of soups (think Tom Yum Goong or Tom Kha Gai). Therefore, Khao Tom (ข้าวต้ม) means "boiled rice" or "rice soup" in English. For more Thai culinary words, see this handy infographic that explains how to interpret a Thai menu.

Ingredients

• Jasmine Rice: This recipe uses cooked jasmine rice, whether freshly made or leftover, as it will warm up nicely in the hot broth.
• Thai Pork Broth: A homemade pork broth infused with Thai aromatics provides the best flavor, but a store-bought version works in a pinch.
• Minced Pork: Pork is a common choice in Thailand, but you can use whatever protein you prefer.
• Cilantro Root, Garlic, and White Pepper: This trio of Thai aromatics is pounded into a paste and mixed into the minced pork for extra depth of flavor. If you don't have cilantro roots, replace them with double the amount of cilantro stems.
• Fish Sauce and Thin Soy Sauce: These essential Thai seasoning sauces enhance both the pork and the soup with savory umami.
• Fried Garlic and Garlic Oil: Fried garlic is best when homemade, but you can also find it at Asian markets for convenience.
• Cilantro, Green Onion, and Chinese Celery: These fresh greens that add a bright, herby finish to the soup.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Thai Rice Soup

Step 1: Make a Thai-style pork broth by combining pork bones with Thai aromatics and allowing to simmer for roughly 2 hours. Season and strain for use in this soup.

Step 2: Pound the cilantro roots, garlic, and white pepper into a paste. Mix paste and seasoning sauces into the ground pork, then cook until the pork is done.

Step 3: To a bowl of clear Thai broth, add the cooked jasmine rice and cooked seasoned ground pork.

Step 4: Top the rice soup with white pepper powder, fried garlic, cilantro, green onion, and Chinese celery. Enjoy!

Variations

Although pork is a common choice for topping Khao Tom, this Thai rice soup can be made with any protein. Chicken, shrimp, and fish are all good options. You could also make this soup without any meat. If you'd like to make a vegan version, you'd also want to substitute the pork broth with a vegetable broth, and the fish sauce with Thai thin soy sauce.

Some versions of Khao Tom are served with a soft boiled egg and thinly sliced ginger, similar to Jok. Others are served with chilis in vinegar or Chinese pickled cabbage to add a sour note. You can easily adapt Khao Tom to suit your personal tastes with your choice of protein, toppings, and seasonings.

Thai Rice Soup FAQs