Rice noodle with Rhizome Roots soup (Num Banch Chouck Somlor Khmer)

Rice noodle with Rhizome Roots soup (Num Banch Chouck Somlor Khmer)

This is Khmer popular food in the country and it come with soup broth of fish or chicken with Rhizome Roots serve with rice noodle and various kinds of fresh vegetables and garnish with fresh hot chilies.
This recipe make a lot if you don’t have too many people to feed cut the recipe in half.



2 pkg of rice vermicelli noodle (make sure you buy the Num Banch Chouck noodle)
To make the soup broth you need: (Tuk somlor )
1 whole boil chicken or cat fish or Tilapia (cooked the fish ahead of time)
I sometime use half chicken and 1 fish it makes the broth taste better
2 T of prahok (do adjust to what you like)
1/2 cup of fish sauce or add salt if you don’t like fish sauce, but make sure use less salt
1 can of coconut milk
Knorr chicken power about 2 T spoon.
MSG (optional)

For Kroeung you need
1 cup of thinly sliced lemongrass
10 cloves of garlic
2 T of pickle Rhizome or 2 to 3 long roots (Krachai)
8 Kaffir lime leaves sliced thin
1 T of turmeric
1 T of salt
Pound the entire ingredients in a mortar pestle or in a blender to paste then add cooked (no bone) fish or chicken to it make sure everything mix to paste.

For the veggies you need
Bean sprouts
Green papaya
Long bean
Banana blossom
Cabbage
And any kind of vegetables you like to add.
Make sure you shredded or thinly slice all the veggies.

For the noodle
Do cook the noodle according to the package direction. When the noodle is done drain and rinse with cold water. To separate noodle into individual bunches soak noodle in cold water while handling and piece bunched noodle into a basket for proper drainage. If the noodle is not properly drained it will be mushy.

To make the soup broth
In a big pot put 2 to 3 quarts ( 12 cups) of water to boil then add chicken or fish paste with kroung to the pot (sometime I use the broth that I boil fish or chicken to add in this soup for flavor so don’t through away cooked chicken broth.) Do adjust water and chicken broth.

Now add prahok, fish sauce, or salt, coconut milk, Knorr chicken powder and sugar to your taste and if you like add MSG to it.
Adjust the flavor to your taste. Turn the heat off or down to low if you are serving.

When ready to serve take one or two bunches of the noodle put in a large bowl then add the soup broth to the noodle top with vegetables and salt, sugar or chilies mix well and serve.

Note: when you serve this noodle make sure your soup broth is on low heat so the soup is warm.

Enjoy!