Chunks of tender pork, vegetables, and rice noodles are simmered in a rich shiitake mushroom broth that's flavored with lemon grass, cilantro and Thai spices.
Thai Style Pork Soup with Rice Noodles
Can a soup be addicting? Because I can’t seem to get enough of this Thai Pork and Noodle Soup. It’s somehow both substantial and light. The perfect balance of rich, bright, fresh flavor.
The shiitake mushroom broth and chunks of pork give it a rich meatiness that feels substantial and filling.
And yet, you'd have to eat an awful lot of this soup to feel weighted down by it. It's very low in fat and packed with the freshness of lemongrass, cilantro, bok choy, and Thai spices. Topped with sprouts or micro greens, it's a fresh and flavorful meal that's.... well, addicting.
Thai Pork and Noodle Soup Recipe Notes:
If you're making this as a part of Spring Meal Plan #1, you should have some Thai Spice Mix already prepared and some chunks of cooked pork in your freezer, allowing you to get this soup on the table in under 40 minutes.
Pull the pork out of the freezer in the morning and place it in your refrigerator to thaw. It probably won't be completely thawed by the evening, but that's ok. It will thaw completely when you add it to the hot soup.
If you're not making this soup as a part of a weekly meal plan, mix up a batch of Thai Spice Mix before you begin making the soup, or substitute it with a purchased Thai spice blend.
You'll also want to cook some pork before starting on the soup. See the instructions in the recipe notes for quickly cooking a couple of pork chops to add to this soup.
More Soup Recipes You Might Like:
- Shrimp, Rice, and Shiitake Mushroom Soup
- Thai Chicken Soup with Noodles
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Beef and Barley Soup with Roasted Mushrooms and Bacon
Weekly Meal Plans that include Thai Pork and Noodle Soup:
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Thai Pork and Noodle Soup
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Description
Chunks of tender pork, vegetables, and rice noodles are simmered in a rich shiitake mushroom broth that’s flavored with lemon grass, cilantro and Thai spices.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp peanut or vegetable oil
- 3 or 4 stalks of fresh lemongrass, thinly sliced (see note below for preparation instructions)
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and minced
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 3 tbsp + 2 tbsp fish sauce, divided
- 1 tbsp + 2 tsp Thai Spice Mix, divided
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 8 oz pad Thai rice noodles
- 1 tbsp green curry paste
- 8 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cups bok choy, leaves removed and white stalks cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups cooked pork (see note)
- 3-4 fresh limes
Garnishes:
- 1-2 cups sprouts or micro greens
- Chili garlic sauce
- Scallions, white part only sliced very thin
- Lime wedges
- Fresh, chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large, heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the lemongrass, onion, cilantro, garlic and 3 tablespoon fish sauce. Cook, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon Thai Spice Mix and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute longer.
- Add the beef and vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat, cover and let simmer to blend the flavors for 10 minutes. Strain the broth into a bowl through a fine mesh sieve. Discard the solids and return the broth to the saucepan. (NOTE: The broth can be refrigerated at this point for up to 5 days.)
- Fill another large sauce pan with water, set it over high heat, and bring to a boil. Add the rice noodles and cook until al dente - about 2-3 minutes. Strain and reserve.
- Bring the broth back to a simmer and add 2 teaspoons Thai Spice Mix, 1 tablespoon green curry paste, the mushrooms, and the bok choy. Cook for 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the pork. Cook for another 2-4 minutes, until the pork is heated through.
- Add the rice noodles to a large serving dish and pour the soup over the top of them.
- Serve with garnishes, allowing each person to top their soup as they like.
Notes
- To prepare a stalk of lemongrass for cooking: Trim all but the bottom 5 inches of a lemongrass stalk. Remove the tough outer sheath. If the stalk is quite tough, you might need to remove a few layers of the outer leaves to get to the tender inner portion. Thinly slice the trimmed and peeled lemon grass on a slight bias.
- Substitute all vegetable broth or all beef broth for the mix of the two, if you prefer.
- To prepare cooked pork: Season 2 large pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet and brown the chops on both sides. Put the chops in a baking dish and pour in 2 cups of water, broth or apple cider. Cook in a 450 degree oven for 20 minutes. Let cool, remove the meat from the bone, and cut into bite-sized chunks.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Soups and Stews
- Cuisine: Thai
Keywords: soup, noodle soup, pork, Asian recipe, soup recipe, dinner recipe, simple dinner recipe, soup for dinner, favorite soup recipe, Thai soup recipe
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