Thai-Style Clear Pork Soup

A low-effort, high-reward soup that heals

My version of this Thai-style clear soup is adapted from my dad's recipe. It's a simple dish I make whenever I'm feeling under the weather, as it's packed with plenty of delicious healing ingredients, like ginger, turmeric, onion, garlic, and cabbage. Just one whiff and sip makes my whole being sigh with relief! Cheers to yummy healing!

PREP TIME

15 Minutes

COOK TIME

35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

For the pork mixture:

1 1/2 lbs ground pork

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon ginger, minced

1 tablespoon cilantro root or stems, minced

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

3 teaspoons fish sauce

For the soup:

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 thumb ginger, thinly sliced

1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder

12 cups water

5 cups green cabbage, core removed and sliced into wedges

Ground black or white pepper

Fish sauce or salt to taste

Roughly chopped cilantro with stems to taste

Sliced scallions to taste

For serving:

Steamed white rice

Fish sauce

Ground Thai dried chili pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

In a bowl, use your hands to combine all pork mixture ingredients just until combined.
Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pot on medium heat. Then add onion, garlic, ginger, and turmeric powder. Stir and cook until the onion has softened. Add water, stir, increase the heat to medium-high and allow to simmer.
Once simmering, grab small, irregular-shaped balls of the pork mixture and carefully drop them into the soup.
Add cabbage and then season with fish sauce (or salt) and ground black or white pepper. Stir well, cover and continue cooking until the cabbage is tender.
Just before serving, add scallions and cilantro, and stir well.
Serve over steamed white rice and top with some fish sauce and ground Thai dried chili pepper to taste.