Thai Rice Soup (Khao Tom)

5 from 1 vote

Supremely nourishing and comforting, this Thai Rice Soup makes for a delicious Thai breakfast or mild meal anytime.

Prep Time30

Cook Time2

Total Time2 30

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Thai

Servings:

Calories: 332kcal

Author: Rachel

Prepare the Pork Broth: If you already have a Thai pork broth made, simply heat it up on the stove. Otherwise, follow this recipe to make your own homemade Thai pork broth.¹
Prepare the Pork: Pound the cilantro roots², garlic, and white pepper together in a mortar and pestle until it forms a fine paste. Add the ground pork and fish sauce and mix together. Spoon a little bit of garlic oil into a pan and cook the pork over medium heat until it is done.
Make the Rice Soup: To each bowl, add 1 cup of warm pork broth, ¾ cup of cooked jasmine rice, and ¼ cup of cooked pork.³Taste and adjust the seasonings based on how salty your original broth is. Add thin soy sauce and/or fish sauce if additional salt is needed.
Add the Toppings: Top your bowl of Khao Tom with your choice of cilantro, green onions, Chinese celery, fried garlic, and white pepper powder. Enjoy!

If you don't have time to make homemade broth, feel free to use store-bought broth. It will certainly work in a pinch, although the flavors of western chicken broths are somewhat different than a Thai style broth.
If you don't have cilantro roots, you can substitute cilantro stems. Use approximately double the amount of stems as their flavor is not as strong as the root.
These amounts can vary depending on the consistency of soup you prefer. If you like a more brothy soup, decrease the amount of rice, and vice versa.