“This is the soup that every kid will enjoy,” writes chef Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon in her book Kalaya’s Southern Thai Kitchen. That’s a bold claim, but when you try this child-approved dish called kang jued woon sen — a simple, savory, pork meatball noodle soup — you’ll be inclined to believe her. And it’s certainly not just for those young enough to play with Roblox.

“Jued means ‘light flavor,’ and this is a mild, gentle soup that is still complex in its taste,” says Suntaranon. “The glass noodles give a beautiful bouncy chew, the pork is like a meatball, the tofu offers a nice soft protein, and the chicken broth is so cozy.” (Sounds ideal for everything from celebrations to sick days.) Even if you’re already sold on the textural delights of this dish, we should also mention that Suntaranon finishes off her bowl with a savory garnish of fried garlic and fried garlic oil. If you’re a fan of this strong aromatic and have a little time to tinker with it, we highly recommend following her recipe instructions to make your own. That said, you can always forgo the garlic, if you’re looking for a simpler (but equally delicious) flavor profile.

Lastly, if you’re planning on simmering up a batch of this irresistible broth, keep in mind that you can break down the work into steps: “You can make the meatballs first and freeze them until you want to make the soup,” says Suntaranon. That means you can tuck those yummy pork delicacies into your freezer for the rainiest of evenings, when soup is required.

Kang Jued Woon Sen: Pork Meatball Soup & Glass Noodles with Fried Garlic Oil

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

Pork Meatballs

4 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro stems
2 scallions, very thinly sliced
1⁄2 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
Big pinch of ground white pepper
Big pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Soup

4 ounces uncooked glass noodles
6 cups chicken broth, homemade (below) or store-bought, or water
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1⁄2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1⁄2 tablespoon sesame oil
6 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 stalks Chinese celery, trimmed and cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces (see note)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 (16-ounce) package silken tofu, drained and cut into large cubes
1⁄4 cup garlic oil (below), for serving
Fried garlic (below), for serving

Instructions

Prepare the pork: On a cutting board, chop the garlic, cilantro, and scallions together until they’re minced. Put the aromatics in a bowl and add the ground pork. Mix by hand until everything is evenly distributed; then add the fish sauce, brown sugar, white pepper, and black pepper. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to overnight.
Make the soup: Soak the glass noodles in cold water for 10 minutes, or according to the package directions. Drain well, cut the noodles in half with kitchen shears, and set aside.
Pour the chicken broth into a medium pot and set over high heat. Roll the pork mixture into tablespoon-size balls and drop them into the broth. When the broth begins to boil, add the fish sauce, salt, brown sugar, and sesame oil. Stir in the glass noodles and bring back to a boil. Stir in the scallions, Chinese celery, and cilantro. Finally, drop the tofu into the soup, stir gently until the tofu is hot, and serve.
Top each serving with some garlic oil and fried garlic.

Note: Chinese celery is much thinner and stronger than typical American celery. If you can’t find it, use 1⁄2 cup of chopped leaves from a bunch of standard celery.

Nam Soup Gai: Chicken Broth

Makes: about 7 quarts

Ingredients

1 whole chicken or, ideally, stewing hen (about 3 pounds)
2 large yellow onions, peeled and cut in half
10 large garlic cloves, peeled but whole
Handful of fresh cilantro sprigs
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped into 3 pieces

Instructions

Rinse the chicken thoroughly and carefully so as not to splash the water out of the sink, inside and out, then put the whole thing (including the gizzards) in a very large stockpot. Add 8 quarts water, the onions, garlic, cilantro, and carrot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 hours. Do not allow the broth to boil. (You won’t need to skim anything off the top if you rinse the chicken really well.)
Remove the chicken from the broth. (I let it cool and then shred the meat to use in chicken salad.) Strain out the vegetables and discard. Also discard the carcass if you’ve pulled the meat off. Let the broth cool and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze for longer.

Fried Garlic and Garlic Oil

Makes: about ½ cup oil and pieces

Instructions

1⁄2 cup vegetable oil
7 large garlic cloves, very thinly sliced, or 1⁄4 cup finely chopped garlic (about 10 cloves)

Ingredients

Line a plate with paper towels and place it within arm’s reach of the stove. Pour the vegetable oil into a small saucepan and place it over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook. The garlic will sizzle and eventually change color; this will take 2 to 5 minutes, depending on how small the garlic is cut. Stir frequently.
When most of the slices are just light golden brown, turn off the heat and stir the garlic vigorously until all the bits are evenly browned. Be careful because it can burn easily; you don’t want it to turn dark brown.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the garlic to the paper towels. Use the fried garlic immediately or store in an airtight container. Reserve the garlic oil in a small jar for future use. Both will keep a long time, but you will eat them before they go stale.