We all know that Thai people love their rice. As a matter of fact it is one of the country of Thailand’s staples. However if anything should be in quiet competition it is noodles! How can we forget about the many delicious varieties of noodles that can be eaten haeng (which means dry) or with a broth, turning it into one of the delicious Thai noodle soups. In the Thai culture there is said to be a noodle for everybody. With many options to choose from such as bamii which is a wheat & egg noodle, boat noodles, tom yam which means preseasoned or nam tok which means with a spoonful of blood added for thickening, there is sure to be a style to fit your taste buds. So what are the favorites of the Thai noodle collection? There are so many I love and enjoy that I could be here writing for awhile. Instead I will try and pick three that are among my top picks.
First we start with Khao Poep, also known as a folded noodle it is actually a type of stuffed noodle soup. We take a good sized spoonful of a rice based batter, place it on a taut cloth over boiling water and leave it there until it begins to firm. Once it is to our liking we place sliced vegetables on top of the formed noodle and then wrap the remaining part of the noodle around the vegetables. It is then placed in a clear pork broth. A thin sliced piece of roast pork is placed in the bowl along with an egg, with cilantro and coriander finishing the dish as a garnish.
Next up is Khao Soi, which is most possibly my favorite of all the Thai Noodle soups. The dish is started by simmering your choice of beef or chicken in a curry paste with coconut milk and dried spices. While that is working we make a broth of curry filled with the wheat & egg noodles (bamii) . Once the meat has finished simmering and locking in the fragrant flavors we add it to the noodles and broth topping it with crispy deep fried noodles and chopped cilantro. I however don’t stop there and will add chopped shallots and a fresh squeeze of lime. It is finished completely with dried chili flakes simmered in oil. This soup is absolutely delish!
The last noodle dish to introduce or perhaps just give some street credit to is, Kuayeow Nuea, the beef lover’s soup! It is made with a beef bone based broth and the original Thai rice noodle. For those that want a heartier soup you can add or nam tok (beefs blood) to thicken it. Along with the rice noodles there are four different types of beef. Lightly boiled beef, braised tripe, spicy beef balls, and chunks of braised beef. To garnish it fried garlic, garlic oil, white pepper and chopped Chinese celery are added. Often for a spicy, tart kick, spicy chiles charred with fruit vinegar is served on the side to dip the selection of beef pieces in.
There are so many different Thai noodle soups to try, these are just three of my favorite. Explore the abundance of Thai recipes to find what you enjoy the best.