Thai pork noodle soup – A classic Sino-Thai recipe

A popular dish from Sino-Thai cuisine

Ba mee nam mu, or Thai pork noodle soup, is a cornerstone of Sino-Thai cuisine. Influenced by Chinese cooking traditions, it is one of the most common dishes found across Thailand, from Bangkok’s street stalls to Chiang Mai’s local markets.

This soup combines wheat noodles served in a clear broth with slices of tender marinated pork and crunchy vegetables. There are many local variations: some include the famous red pork known as moo daeng, while others add steamed dumplings (kiew). Because it is a noodle-based dish of Chinese origin, it is one of the few Thai dishes traditionally eaten with chopsticks.

It may take a little time to prepare, but it is well worth the effort. The result is absolutely delicious, with a rich and satisfying flavour that makes this soup a favourite among Thai noodle dishes. Give it a try, you will be won over by its depth of taste.

Thai pork noodle soup recipe (serves two)

Marinated pork

200 g pork tenderloin

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

½ tbsp coconut sugar

5 g ginger, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

½ tbsp sesame oil

Mix all ingredients and marinate the pork (unsliced) for at least 20 minutes. Stir-fry briefly in 2 tbsp of oil over low heat, add the remaining marinade, cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before slicing thinly, then mix the slices with the cooking juices.

Fried garlic

10 g garlic, coarsely chopped

4 tbsp oil

Fry the garlic in oil over medium heat until it starts to turn golden. Remove from heat and let it cool.

Soup

750 ml water

750 ml chicken stock

150 g Chinese broccoli (kale), cut into 3 cm pieces. Alternatively: morning glory or baby bok choy

150 g fresh egg noodles

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp white cane sugar

Bring the water and the chicken stock to a boil in two separate saucepans. Blanch the broccoli in the boiling water for 1 minute, then place it in iced water to preserve its colour. Cook the noodles for about 1 minute, or as indicated on the package. Drain both noodles and broccoli and divide them between two bowls. Top each bowl with sliced pork and its cooking juices.

Add the seasoning (fish sauce and sugar) to the chicken stock, then pour the hot broth into the bowls over the noodles, broccoli and pork.

Garnish and serve

Serve immediately with fried garlic (and its oil) and the following side garnishes:

• chopped coriander leaves

• chopped spring onion

• bean sprouts

• chilli flakes

• white sugar

• fish sauce

Tip

Do not cook the noodles directly in the stock that will be used for the soup. Fresh egg noodles are lightly floured to prevent sticking, and that flour would make the stock cloudy. A clear broth is one of the marks of a well-prepared Thai noodle soup.

Learn more – Sino-Thai cuisine and cooking classes on Koh Samui

Would you like to explore Sino-Thai cooking in more depth?

Read our article dedicated to the Chinese heritage of Thai gastronomy, from the migration routes that shaped Bangkok’s Chinatown to the southern dim sum tradition. Discover how wok cooking, soy sauce and Thai ingredients blend to form one of Thailand’s most enduring culinary identities.

Join our private Thai cooking classes on Koh Samui and discover how Chinese techniques have shaped modern Thai cuisine. Explore our Thai cooking classes on Koh Samui.

Find this recipe in our book

This recipe is featured in our Thai soups eBook, which gathers some of the most iconic soups of the kingdom, from tom yam to ba mee nam mu.