Northern Thai Pork Blood Noodle Soup

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A signature noodle soup from the Lanna region of Northern Thailand, this dish combines a rich tomato-chili broth with curdled pork blood, tender pork ribs, and crispy pork rinds for a deeply savory and spicy bowl. Often eaten for breakfast in Chiang Mai, it balances fiery heat, sour tang, and meaty depth in every spoonful.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 540 kcalCalories
• 22 gFat
• 7 gSaturated Fat
• 48 gCarbs
• 3 gFiber
• 6 gSugar
• 34 gProtein
• 1180 mgSodium
• 780 mgPotassium
• 95 mgCalcium
• 9 mgIron
• 22 mgVitamin C
• 140 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the broth

• 500 g pork spare ribs, cut into 2 cm pieces
• 8 cups water
• 3 ripe tomatoes, quartered
• 5 dried Thai chilies, soaked
• 5 shallots, peeled
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp fermented soybean paste (tao jiao)
• 1 tbsp Northern Thai chili powder

For the pork and blood

• 200 g minced pork
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 150 g fresh pork blood, curdled and cut into 2 cm cubes
• 2 tbsp thin soy sauce

For assembling

• 400 g fresh wide rice noodles (sen yai)
• 1 cup crispy fried pork rinds
• 1/2 cup pickled mustard greens, chopped
• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 1 tbsp sawtooth coriander (optional)
• 2 limes, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add pork spare ribs, reduce heat, and simmer for 25 minutes until tender, skimming any foam off the surface.
2. Meanwhile, pound the soaked dried chilies, shallots, and garlic into a coarse paste using a mortar and pestle. Add the chili powder and fermented soybean paste and mix to combine.
3. Stir the chili paste into the simmering broth along with the quartered tomatoes. Cook for 10 minutes until the tomatoes break down and the broth turns a deep reddish-orange.
4. Season the minced pork with soy sauce and white pepper, then roll into small meatballs. Drop the meatballs into the broth and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Gently add the curdled pork blood cubes to the pot and simmer for 3 minutes more, just until heated through. Season the broth with thin soy sauce and a pinch of salt to taste.
6. Divide the fresh wide rice noodles among 4 large bowls. If noodles are cold, briefly blanch them in boiling water for 30 seconds before dividing.
7. Ladle the hot broth, pork ribs, meatballs, and pork blood over the noodles in each bowl.
8. Top each bowl generously with crispy pork rinds, pickled mustard greens, bean sprouts, cilantro, green onions, and sawtooth coriander.
9. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side and extra chili powder for those who want more heat.

Cook’s Notes

• Fresh pork blood is essential for the authentic texture; source it from a butcher the day of cooking, or use frozen coagulated blood thawed in cold water.
• Northern Thai chili powder (made from dried spur chilies) is milder and fruitier than regular chili powder, but standard chili powder works if adjusted to taste.
• Do not boil the pork blood vigorously or it will crumble; gentle simmering keeps the cubes intact and tender.
• Crispy pork rinds lose their crunch quickly in hot broth, so add them at the very last moment just before serving.
• For a more sour profile, add a splash of pickled mustard green brine to the broth or finish with extra lime juice.

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