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Tom Saap recipe made with tender pork ribs and aromatic Thai herbs in a traditional clay serving bowl

Tom Saap — Thai Pork Rib Soup Recipe

Susie Thompson
This is the Thai pork rib soup my mother made on cool mornings in Korat, left on the heat while life happened around it, and finished with lime and fish sauce just before the bowls came out. Tom Saap is not a quick soup. It is a patient one. The ribs need time and the broth rewards every minute you give it.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Course Family meal, Main Course, Soup and Stews
Cuisine Thai
Servings 5
Calories 250 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs pork ribs cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 stalk lemongrass cut into 2-inch pieces and bruised
  • 4 kaffir lime leaves
  • 1 inch piece galangal sliced
  • 5 cloves garlic crushed
  • 2 shallots sliced
  • 3-4 Thai bird's eye chilies crushed
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 cup mushrooms sliced (optional)
  • Fresh cilantro chopped (for garnish)
  • Green onions chopped (for garnish)
  • Fresh lime wedges for serving

Instructions
 

  • Prepare your ingredients:
    Cut the pork ribs into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Bruise the lemongrass by lightly smashing it with the back of a knife to release its flavors. Tear the kaffir lime leaves to enhance their fragrance. Slice the galangal, crush the garlic, and slice the shallots.
  • Boil the Pork Ribs
    Place the pork ribs in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook for five minutes. You will see foam and impurities rising to the surface. Drain completely, rinse the ribs under cold water, and discard the parboiling liquid.
  • Simmer with Aromatics
    Return the cleaned ribs to the pot and add the bruised lemongrass, torn kaffir lime leaves, sliced galangal, crushed garlic, and sliced shallots. Pour in the water and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer for about 1.5 to 2 hours.
  •  Add Mushrooms and Season
    After simmering: Add the sliced mushrooms and Thai bird's eye chili to the pot and cook for 10 minutes. Season the soup with fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar. Stir well to combine, and taste to adjust the seasoning as needed.
  • Garnish and Serve
    Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro, green onions and Thai bird's eye chilies. Serve with fresh lime wedges on the side.

Video

Notes

Parboil the ribs first. Place the ribs in cold water, bring to a boil for five minutes, drain, and rinse. The impurities that cause a cloudy, slightly off-tasting broth come out in this first water. Discard it. Start fresh with clean water and the aromatics. The broth that builds in the second pot will be clear, clean, and completely itself from the beginning.
Skim the foam in the first ten minutes after the boil. The gray foam that rises as the ribs come to temperature is coagulated protein. Two minutes of skimming at the right moment produces a clear, clean broth. Skip it and the broth will be cloudier and slightly less clean-tasting.
The lime juice goes in at the end, not at the beginning. Lime cooked for two hours loses its brightness and becomes flat and slightly bitter. Added at the very end, just before the bowl goes to the table, the lime arrives fresh and present. My mother tasted it once and adjusted the lime. Follow her lead.
Give it the time. One and a half hours is the minimum. Two hours is better. At two hours the rib meat is pulling away from the bone, the broth is deeply flavored, and the fat from the ribs has rendered and enriched the liquid. The patience is not optional. It is what this soup is.

Nutrition

Serving: 4ServingsCalories: 250kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 20gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 900mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2g
Keyword Thai Pork Ribs Soup, Tom Saap
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