Soup is a broth-based dish that has become an essential part of world cuisine. This dish is made by boiling various ingredients in water or broth, resulting in a dish that is not only delicious but also rich in nutrients.
The specialty of soup lies not only in its delicious taste but also in its benefits for the body. Warm soup can provide comfort, especially during cold weather or when someone is feeling unwell. Its liquid content helps maintain body hydration, while the combination of ingredients provides various important nutrients. Soup is also known as an easily digestible dish, making it suitable for all ages, from children to the elderly.
Southeast Asian countries have their own distinctive soups with unique flavors and preparation methods. Here are 4 soups from Southeast Asia that made it to CNN's list of 20 best soups.
Beef Pho - Vietnam
Pho is a dish of thin and soft rice noodles combined with broth made from beef or chicken, and seasoned with various Vietnamese spices. Beef-based Pho is prepared with various cuts and parts of beef.
The excellence of Pho lies in its clear but flavorful broth. This broth is produced by simmering beef bones, shanks, oxtail, and neck for hours together with spices such as cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, and roasted onions.
The noodles are served in a large bowl with sliced beef that can vary from medium-rare tenderloin to tripe and even bone marrow. Pho is usually served for breakfast and can be easily found on Vietnamese street corners.
Mohinga - Myanmar
Mohinga is a flavorful fish soup that combines the deliciousness of freshwater fish with various local spices. The thick fish broth is characteristic of this soup, made by cooking freshwater fish together with chopped banana stem, shallots, garlic, turmeric, and ginger.
The noodles used in Mohinga are rice noodles with a soft and thin texture, making them easily absorb the rich broth flavor. The noodles are topped with flaked fish cooked along with traditional accompaniments including boiled eggs, crispy fish crackers, fresh coriander leaves, lime wedges, chili powder, and fried peanuts.
In Myanmar, Mohinga is no longer just consumed for breakfast but can be enjoyed throughout the day with unique touches varying in each region.
Soto Ayam - Indonesia
Soto ayam is a traditional Indonesian soup that presents a combination of yellowish chicken broth with Indonesian signature spices. The key to soto ayam's deliciousness lies in its savory broth, made by cooking chicken together with a blend of ground spices consisting of shallots, garlic, turmeric, ginger, galangal, and spices such as lemongrass, bay leaves, and kaffir lime leaves.
The chicken is boiled until tender, then shredded finely and sprinkled on top of the soup. Soto ayam is usually served with various accompaniments that make it a flavorful dish. Bean sprouts, chopped cabbage, sliced boiled eggs, crispy fried shallots, and chopped celery provide their own texture variations.
Soto ayam is usually also served with warm white rice or rice cake with special chili sauce, sweet soy sauce, and crackers.
Tom Yum Goong - Thailand
Tom Yum Goong is a Thai signature soup famous for its captivating combination of sweet, sour, spicy, and salty flavors. Shrimp is the main ingredient of this soup.
The Tom Yum Goong broth is made by cooking fresh shrimp along with their heads, then enriched with Thai aromatic spices such as lemongrass, fragrant kaffir lime leaves, galangal, and stinging hot Thai chilies.
The refreshing sour taste in Tom Yum Goong comes from lime and lemon juice added at the end of the cooking process. Tom Yum Goong is usually served with fresh coriander leaves and sliced chilies.
