Khao Tom (Thai Rice Soup)
Mar 22, 2026 01:01 PM
Meet my absolute favorite winter soup. I ate it weekly during the five years I lived in Thailand, and I’ve perfected the recipe to make at home. With tender meatballs and fragrant rice, Thai Rice and Meatball Soup (Khao Tom) is a cozy soup that makes a great stand-in for chicken noodle soup if you want something hearty and aromatic.
Although Thai Rice and Meatball Soup and other similar soups were extremely common in Bangkok for breakfast, I hadn’t had it for a few years when I came across a version in Milk Street: Tuesday Nights. I quickly made that version, wanting something that would fight off the chill of January and that would be an easy win with my kids.
The version I’m sharing takes some inspiration from Milk Street in the meatball technique, but for the broth, I returned to my Thai cooking lessons from years ago and used a similar method to making broth for Tom Yum Goong. The process is simple – smash the aromatics gently to bring out their flavor, saute them for a few minutes, and simmer them in stock. Then, and this is key, remove and discard those aromatics before adding the meatballs and rice.
What you are left with is a soup that is full of flavor, but with no pieces of aromatics floating around to dissuade suspicious six-year-olds from diving in. It’s comfort food at its most delicious.
Ingredients:
For the Meatballs
- 8 ounces ground pork
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons Sriracha or other hot sauce (optional)
For the Soup
- 1 3-inch piece ginger, sliced
- 2 large cloves shallots
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 lemongrass stalks (just use the lower 6 inches of the stalk)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoons soy sauce (use Tamari for gluten-free)
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 cups cooked jasmine rice
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- Chopped green onions and / or cilantro, for serving
Prep Time:
30 minutes
Cook Time:
15 minutes
Total Time:
45 minutes
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