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thai rice soup with pork (kao tome)

Recipe by
Vickie Parks
Renton, WA

Despite the title, this dish is more of a porridge, and in Thailand it's more likely to be served as a breakfast dish. However, it's pretty versatile and can be served at lunch or dinner as a soup course. It has a delicate flavor base that gets a bit of a boost (and a splash of color) from the fresh ingredients such as cilantro, lime leaves, lemongrass and scallions.

yield 6 to 8
prep time 15 Min
cook time 1 Hr 45 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For thai rice soup with pork (kao tome)

  • 3 1/2
    piece of fresh galangal or fresh ginger
  • 2 stalk
    fresh lemongrass, green tops discarded, halved and chopped
  • 10 c
    low-sodium chicken stock
  • 4 c
    water
  • 3 c
    cooked jasmine rice
  • 6
    scallions (green onions), thinly sliced
  • 1 lb
    ground pork
  • 1 Tbsp
    fish sauce
  • 1 Tbsp
    dark soy sauce
  • 4 clove
    garlic, grated
  • 3
    thai bird chilies, minced
  • 3
    kaffir lime leaves, very thinly sliced
  • 6 lg
    eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 c
    cilantro leaves and stems, coarsely chopped
  • lemon wedges, for garnish (optional)

How To Make thai rice soup with pork (kao tome)

  • 1
    Peel and thinly slice 2 inches of the galangal (or ginger), reserving the remaining 1 1/2 inches for the pork mixture. Wrap the sliced galangal and lemongrass in a piece of cheesecloth and tie with kitchen twine. Combine the chicken stock, 4 cups water and the cheesecloth packet in a deep straight-sided skillet. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the cooked rice and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes thick and slightly creamy.
  • 2
    While the rice is cooking, make the pork mixture. Peel and finely grate the remaining 1 1/2 inches of galangal. Combine the galangal, 4 of the sliced scallions, pork, fish sauce, soy sauce, garlic, chiles and kaffir lime leaves in a bowl. Using your hands, mix everything together until just combined. Set aside.
  • 3
    Remove the cheesecloth packet from the soup and discard. Using a tablespoon as a measurement, drop rounds of the pork mixture into the simmering soup. Simmer the meatballs for 2 minutes.
  • 4
    Crack the eggs into small individual bowls. Using the back of a ladle, make 6 small wells in the soup and slide 1 egg into each well. Cover skillet with a lid and gently simmer the eggs until the whites are just set and the yolks are still runny, for 4 to 6 minutes.
  • 5
    To serve, ladle the soup into individual bowls, making sure each bowl gets 1 poached egg. Top each serving with remaining 2 sliced scallions and chopped cilantro. Served immediately with a lime wedge.

Categories & Tags for Thai Rice Soup with Pork (Kao Tome):

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