Tom Saep (Isaan Hot & Sour Pork Rib Soup)
A clear, fiery, sour soup of tender pork ribs with lemongrass, galangal, roasted chilli and lots of fresh herbs.
- Region
- Isaan (Northeastern Thailand)
- Condiments
- Fish Sauce
- Vegetables
- Lemongrass, Galangal, Makrut Lime, Bird’s Eye Chilli, Thai Shallots, Dried Red Chillies, Mint, Sawtooth Coriander
- Fruits
- Lime
Ingredients
- 600 g pork ribs, cut into short pieces
- 1.5 litres water
- 3 stalks lemongrass, cut into 5 cm lengths and bruised
- 6 thin slices galangal
- 6 makrut lime leaves, torn
- 4 small shallots, halved and crushed
- 5–10 bird’s eye chillies, crushed
- 150 g oyster mushrooms, torn (optional)
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 4 tbsp lime juice
- 1–2 tsp roasted chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp toasted rice powder (khao khua, optional)
- 1 handful sawtooth coriander or coriander, and a handful of Thai basil or mint
Instructions
Saep means delicious in the Isaan dialect, and tom saep is the northeast’s answer to tom yum: no coconut milk, no chilli jam, just a clear broth that is very sour and very hot, with smoky roasted chilli and a big handful of fresh herbs.
Method
- Put the ribs in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil for 2 minutes and drain. Rinse the ribs; this keeps the soup clear.
- Return the ribs to the pot with the 1.5 litres of water, the lemongrass, galangal, half the lime leaves and the shallots. Simmer gently for 45 minutes until the ribs are tender.
- Add the crushed chillies and mushrooms if using, and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Add the fish sauce and the remaining lime leaves, then turn off the heat.
- Stir in the lime juice, chilli flakes and rice powder. Taste: very sour, salty and hot. Adjust.
- Add the herbs just before serving, and serve with sticky rice.
Cook’s tips
- Beef tendon, chicken or mushrooms all make good tom saep. Adjust the simmering time.
- Add the lime juice off the heat; boiling makes it bitter.
Aroy Mak Mak
Aroy Mak Mak is a small team writing about the food of Thailand and its neighbours: recipes you can cook at home, guides to the ingredients behind them, and places worth travelling for. The name means "very delicious" in Thai. Every recipe on the site lists its ingredients, timings and method in full, explains the techniques that matter, and suggests substitutes for ingredients that are hard to find outside Thailand. The guides to regions, condiments, vegetables and fruits explain what things are, how they are used and how to buy and store them. Place pages are researched from current sources, including the latest Michelin Guide Thailand, official websites and maps, and give addresses, opening hours and what to order. Where a detail could not be confirmed, it is left out rather than guessed.