Creamy, tangy, and rich with Thai flavour, Tom Kha is a comforting coconut soup that’s surprisingly simple to make at home. This pork version brings a delicious twist to the classic, with tender meat soaking up all the bold, aromatic goodness of lemongrass, ginger, lime and chilli.
Tom kha (Thai coconut soup)
Ingredients
- For the soup
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 500 g pork fillet, cut into thin strips
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 4 shallots, sliced
- 1 red chilli, roughly chopped
- 1 knob fresh ginger, sliced
- 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
- 1 litre chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 1 tin coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- Juice of ½ lime (or more to taste)
- 200 g shiitake mushrooms
- 200 g baby pak choi, halved
- 170 g dry egg noodles
- To serve
- Fresh coriander
- Spring onion, sliced
- Chilli, sliced
- Lime wedges
Instructions
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Season the pork strips with salt and pepper, then sear until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
In a large pot, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the garlic, shallots, red chilli, ginger and lemongrass for 3-4 minutes until fragrant.
Stir in the Thai red curry paste and cook for another minute to develop the flavour.
Pour in the chicken stock and water, then bring to a simmer. Let the broth gently bubble for 15 minutes to allow the aromatics to infuse.
Strain the broth to remove the solids and return the stock base to the pot. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce and lime juice to the broth and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed with more fish sauce or lime juice.
Simmer gently for 5-10 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and pak choi and cook until just tender, about 3-5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate pot, cook the egg noodles according to the packaging instructions and drain well. Return the seared pork to the soup and let it warm through for 2-3 minutes.
To serve:
Divide the egg noodles between the serving bowls. Ladle the hot soup over the noodles and garnish each bowl with fresh coriander, sliced spring onion, chilli and a lime wedge.
Serve immediately.
Notes
Serving suggestion: Serve with prawn crackers or steamed jasmine rice on the side. A cold Thai beer or jasmine tea complements this aromatic, warming soup perfectly.
Also See: Italian-style Pork meatball soup
Italian-style Pork meatball soup
Recipe and image: SA Pork
