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    Home » Recipes by Category » Soups & Stews

    Published: Apr 12, 2019 · Modified: May 11, 2020 by Nart · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Super Tender Pork Rib Tom Yum

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    pork rib tom yum in red bowls

    What? Did your world just come crashing down because you saw no ‘goong’ (prawns) in my tom yum? I’m sorry to break the truth, but tom yum goong is not the only tom yum we eat in Thailand. 🤭🤭

    We put pretty much any kind of protein in this hot and sour soup. From seafood to pork ribs, beef and chicken, you name it — anything that floats your boat is fine. I love tom yum goong myself but find that a lot of times prawns sold at the market or supermarket aren’t that fresh, and I just end up using pork ribs.

    To be fair, pork rib tom yum is a very popular soup here and more common than tom yum goong at real-world everyday ‘kao rad gaeng’ stalls (stalls that serve rice with a variety of pre-made curries/stir-fries/soups for about 30-50 baht) because pork ribs are cheaper than prawns. If you go to an Isaan restaurant, you’ll find another pork rib tom yum variation called ‘tom zap,’ which contains Thai basil, toasted rice powder and some other ingredients different from those of tom yum.

    pork rib tom yum in a red bowl

    The reason why we Thais enjoy pork rib tom yum is because the bones help make the broth very rich. And you know the game – you reheat seafood, it gets dry and nasty; you reheat pork ribs, they get more and more tender. Plus, it’s a bonus when you can’t be bothered to prepare prawns! If you haven’t tried pork rib tom yum soup, I highly, highly recommend you try it. You’re gonna love this and will thank me later!

    I should also mention that I use tamarind in this recipe to make the soup sour. I like using tamarind in tom yum for the fact that it makes the broth ‘less watery,’ if you will. A lot of people like the aroma of lime juice and so do I. But for this recipe, the tamarind juice makes the tom yum sour enough for me. If you want the lime juice aroma, you can use less tamarind and season the soup with lime juice until you reach the taste you prefer at the end. Or, if you can’t find tamarind at all, just go with lime juice. I promise your tom yum will be just fine. 😊

    📖 Recipe

    pork rib tom yum in red bowls

    Super Tender Pork Rib Tom Yum Recipe

    A Thai hot and sour soup that's great for any day. The best tom yum recipe!
    5 from 10 votes
    Print Rate
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: Thai
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour
    Servings: 4 servings
    Author: Nart

    Ingredients

    • 1½ pods sour tamarind you can find this in a Thai or Asian grocery store
    • 350 grams pork ribs
    • 2 stalks lemongrass
    • 3-4 slices galangal
    • 6 kaffir lime leaves hand torn and bruised
    • ½ tablespoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • 5 Thai bird's eye chiles roughly pounded
    • 100 grams mushroom any kind you prefer

    Instructions

    • Add 1½ liters of water to a pot and simmer the pork ribs with the lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and tamarind pods for about 50 minutes. Remove any fat floating on top of the liquid.
    • Use a slotted spoon to scoop the tamarind pods from the soup and hold the spoon just right above the surface of the soup. Use another spoon to squash the tamarind pulp through the slotted spoon into the soup and discard the membranes and seeds.
    • Season the tom yum with salt, sugar and Thai bird's eye chiles.
    • Add the mushrooms and let cook for about 1-2 minutes before turning off the heat.

    Notes

    If the tom yum isn't sour enough for you, you can add fresh lime juice to it and keep tasting as you go.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookingwithnart or tag #cookingwithnart!

    Please also remember to pin me! 🙂

    All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Lathiya says

      September 07, 2020 at 3:30 am

      5 stars
      This looks great. Super comfort food.

      Reply
      • Nart says

        September 08, 2020 at 2:57 pm

        Thank you 🙂

        Reply
      • Mona says

        January 30, 2022 at 5:51 am

        Sawatdee kaah, Nart!
        Chan choop your recipes, easy and tasty.
        Khorp kun, kha

        Reply
        • Nart says

          February 09, 2022 at 8:40 am

          Hi Mona!!

          Thank you SO much. Your comment just made my day! 🙂

    2. Jacqueline Debono says

      September 04, 2020 at 12:59 am

      5 stars
      This Tom Yum looks so good. I didn’t know it is can be made with pork ribs. Can’t wait to try it!

      Reply
      • Nart says

        September 08, 2020 at 3:09 pm

        You can make it with pretty much anything!

        Reply
    3. LaRena Fry says

      September 04, 2020 at 12:07 am

      5 stars
      Looks and sounds so good. Great photo!

      Reply
      • Nart says

        September 08, 2020 at 3:09 pm

        Thanks so much!

        Reply
    4. LaRena Fry says

      September 03, 2020 at 12:09 pm

      5 stars
      Love that lemongrass and tamirand is in this. Sounds so yummy!

      Reply
      • Nart says

        September 08, 2020 at 3:09 pm

        Thank you 🙂

        Reply
    5. Beth says

      September 03, 2020 at 11:24 am

      5 stars
      This sounds so flavorful, and I agree with you that the bones make any soup ten times better. I only need to get some tamarind and I can make this recipe!

      Reply
      • Nart says

        September 08, 2020 at 3:09 pm

        Please enjoy!

        Reply
    6. Sid Myers says

      September 02, 2020 at 8:50 am

      5 stars
      Tom yum with no prawns! I had no idea. Looks delicious nonetheless 🙂

      Reply
      • Nart says

        September 08, 2020 at 3:13 pm

        Thank you! And yes, we use just anything in tom yum!

        Reply
    7. The Gourmet Country Girl says

      September 02, 2020 at 5:26 am

      5 stars
      Oh yeah, I got to chilis and mushrooms and knew I would love this dish. Simmering the pork with tamarind, lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves imparts flavor and texture to the pork in a beautiful way. Great job!

      Reply
      • Nart says

        September 08, 2020 at 3:01 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    8. Angela says

      September 02, 2020 at 3:20 am

      5 stars
      So excited to find this recipe. I love sour tamarind and this did not disappoint.

      Reply
      • Nart says

        September 08, 2020 at 3:01 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    9. saif says

      September 01, 2020 at 10:25 pm

      5 stars
      This hot and sour soup looks delicious. Sadly, I don’t eat pork. Can I use beef or chicken instead?

      Reply
      • Nart says

        September 08, 2020 at 3:02 pm

        Definitely!

        Reply
    10. Roslia santamaria says

      April 18, 2019 at 2:15 pm

      This looks super tasty!! I can’t wait to give it a try! It’s all delicious ingredients 🙂

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Nart!

    I'm Thai born and bred and I love cooking for my family, friends and myself. I'm here to share with you my Thai and other Asian recipes with a bit of baking and Western recipes thrown in here and there. More about me →

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