Market Bowl · Herbal Sour Soup

Tom Saep (Isaan Spicy Sour Soup)

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Unlike the more famous tom yum, tom saep leans on fresh dill and mint rather than lemongrass and galangal alone, giving it a distinctly herbal, almost grassy sourness.

Pork ribs or offal are simmered in a clear broth with lime juice, fish sauce, chilies, shallots and a heavy handful of fresh dill, mint and coriander, producing a soup that's sour, salty and fiercely spicy all at once.

Why it's made this way: The soup shares the same Lao-Isaan culinary DNA as larb and som tam — a reliance on lime, fish sauce and fresh herbs over coconut milk or thick curry pastes — and is a staple at Isaan market food stalls alongside grilled meats.