Region
Phở, tom yum, tom kha, laksa and sinigang: herbs, sourness and heat. 6 soups from Southeast Asia in Soupmap Recipes, including Phở bò, Tom yum goong and Curry laksa. Tested recipes with honest timings, a servings scaler and timers.
6 recipes
Vietnam · Noodle soups
Phở bò (Vietnamese beef noodle soup)
A clear, gently spiced beef broth simmered for hours and poured boiling over rice noodles, brisket and paper-thin raw beef. Hanoi-leaning: spare, savoury and fragrant.
Photo: Andy Li, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Thailand · Clear & light
Tom yum goong (Thai hot and sour prawn soup)
A quick stock from the prawn shells, loaded with lemongrass, galangal, lime leaf and chilli, then sharpened with lime juice off the heat. Hot, sour, salty and fragrant all at once.
Photo: OpenCage, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Malaysia · Noodle soups
Curry laksa (Malaysian coconut curry noodle soup)
A from-scratch spice paste fried until its oil splits, simmered with chicken-and-prawn stock and coconut milk, then poured over two kinds of noodles with tofu puffs and sambal.
Photo: brown_colour, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Vietnam · Noodle soups
Phở gà (Vietnamese chicken noodle soup)
A whole chicken poached gently in a broth of charred onion, ginger and toasted spice, then torn over rice noodles with herbs, lime leaf and lime. Lighter than beef, done in an afternoon.
Photo: Nowforever, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Philippines · Hearty & chunky
Sinigang na baboy (Filipino sour tamarind pork soup)
Pork ribs simmered until tender in a broth soured with fresh tamarind, then filled with radish, long beans, eggplant and greens. Bracingly sour, savoury and made for rice.
Photo: ??? ??? from San Francisco, California, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Thailand · Smooth & creamy
Tom kha gai (Thai chicken and coconut soup)
Chicken poached in coconut milk and stock perfumed with galangal, lemongrass and lime leaf, finished with fish sauce and lime. Sour, gently sweet and rich without being heavy.
Photo: Evan Joshua Swigart (TheCulinaryGeek) from Chicago, Illinois, USA; hometown of Ames, Iowa, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
No recipes match all of those.
