Gaeng Jued

Pailin Chongchitnant’s selected gaeng jued turns pork ribs and water into a savoury broth for glass noodles, small pork meatballs, egg tofu and napa cabbage. She describes this home-style soup as part of a shared Thai family meal, often eaten with rice.

Selected chopped pork ribs simmer with fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar and ground white pepper. Foam is skimmed away before selected optional daikon and cilantro stems join the broth.

The glass noodles soften in a separate water soak, then drain and are cut into shorter sections. Ground pork is kneaded with its own portions of soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and white pepper, then spooned into bite-sized pieces in the soup.

Napa cabbage and egg tofu enter before the softened noodles finish cooking in the broth. Final seasoning can use more soy sauce or fish sauce, and cilantro and green onions provide the finishing herbs.

Optional freshly fried garlic adds a light golden topping, with some of its separately saved oil also available. The garlic recipe makes a larger batch than this soup needs; rice can accompany the soup, while the author also offers it as a meal on its own.