Thai Broth (Nam Stock)

5 from 1 vote

This broth is made with chicken or pork bones, garlic, cilantro roots, and white pepper for plenty of Thai flavor.

Prep Time10

Cook Time2

Total Time2 10

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Thai

Servings:

Calories: 6kcal

Author: Rachel

Start Broth Cooking: Add chicken or pork bones, water, garlic, cilantro roots¹, and white pepper to a stock pot. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer.
Simmer for Two Hours: Allow the broth to simmer for approximately 2 hours. Use a large round spoon or fine mesh strainer to skim the fat and scum off the top of the broth occasionally.
Season: Add Thai thin soy sauce and fish sauce to season the broth. Start with 1 Tablespoon of each, then taste and add more as needed. I typically end up adding 2 Tablespoons soy sauce and 1-1.5 Tablespoons fish sauce.
Strain: Strain the bones and aromatic ingredients from the broth by pouring through a large mesh strainer. If you are serving the broth as is, you can garnish with cilantro and green onions for a bit more flavor. Otherwise, use in a Thai recipe² or save in the freezer³.

If you don't have cilantro roots, you can substitute cilantro stems. Use approximately double the amount of cilantro stems as they are not as flavorful as the root.
Several Thai dishes start with or incorporate Thai broth. It forms the base of many soups like Tom Yum Gai, Tom Kha Gai, and Khao Tom and is served alongside the poached chicken and rice of Khao Man Gai to name a few.
To store this Thai broth for use at a later time, pour about 1-2 cups into a freezer-safe Ziploc bag and lay flat in the freezer. When you're ready to use it, simply bring the bag out to thaw.