The rainy season is upon us once again, and what better way to fight the cool weather than with rich soups to warm up our stomachs and our souls? Southeast Asian soups have always been known for their diverse flavor profiles, blending aromatic herbs, regional spices, and unique ingredients to create the perfect soups for any occasion. And while each country from Southeast Asia has their own way of making their flavorful soups, they all have one thing in common: they taste absolutely amazing. For this year’s Top 100 Best Soups in The World, TasteAtlas included 23 Southeast Asian soup dishes that everyone should try.
Rawon (top) and Soto Betawi (bottom) | Images from Shutterstock
The Indonesian meat soups Rawon and Soto Betawi achieved the highest rankings among all Southeast Asian soups, coming in as the 2nd and 3rd best soups for 2024, respectively. Rawon, which originated from East Java, is a flavorful dish made by slow-braising beef with a blend of ingredients like lime leaves, lemongrass, ginger, chili, and the buah kluwek seeds from the kepayang tree, which give Rawon its distinctive dark color and unique earthy and sour flavor.
The Soto Betawi is also a beef soup, with chunks of beef meat being simmered in a coconut milk broth enhanced by the added flavors of different regional spices such as lemongrass, turmeric, galangal, kefir lime leaves, and coriander. The Soto Betawi is a highly popular dish in Indonesia enjoyed with a serving of rice and pickled acar and is commonly seen in various establishments from street stalls to restaurants.
Other Indonesian soups that were in the list include the Gulai at 18th place, Soto Lamongan, a chicken Soto variant at 42nd place; the Empal Gentong, a curry-like beef soup at 46th place; and the Soto, the original soup composed of broth, meat and vegetables at 56th place.
Tom Yum (top) and Tom Kha Gai (bottom) | Images from Shutterstock
Thailand’s Tom Kha Gai was ranked as the 15th best soup in the world. This chicken soup is made up of a diverse combination of aromatic and flavorful ingredients such as coconut milk, chicken chunks, galangal, lemongrass, garlic, bird’s eye chili peppers, kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce, and shiitake mushrooms. It’s also popularly known for its medicinal properties as it can be a tasty dish to help soothe a stomach ache.
Another Thai soup that made the list is Tom Yum, a seafood soup and one of Thailand’s most recognizable dishes, which ranked 29th in the list. Known for its spicy-sour aroma, Tom Yum is made with shallots, lemongrass, fish sauce, minced fresh ginger or galangal, shrimps, mushrooms, kaffir lime leaves, lime juice, and minced Thai chili peppers, and is best served with rice to complement its vibrant flavors and create a filling culinary experience.
Sinigang (top) and Bulalo (bottom) | Images from Shutterstock
Philippine soups Sinigang and Bulalo also make a return to the list, ranking in 17th and 38th place. Sinigang and Bulalo were also included in TasteAtlas list for the Top 50 Best Soups of 2023, with both soups receiving a significant bump in their rankings compared to last year, which were 42nd and 43rd respectively.
While Sinigang has different variations, it’s most known for having that delicious sour flavor that will give your taste buds a buzz and make your lips pucker at the first sip. Made up of various ingredients such as water spinach, okra, pepper, cabbage, broccoli, eggplant, diced tomatoes, sliced onions, ginger, garlic, green beans, fish sauce, and salt, the Sinigang’s main highlight is the tamarind that gives the soup its distinct sour flavor. The pork variation of the Sinigang, the Sinigang na Baboy, also made the list separately as the 38th best soup dish in the world.
Meanwhile, Bulalo is a meat soup that’s the perfect meal to warm up your body and fill up your belly on a cold and chilly day. The soup’s main ingredients are the beef shank and bone marrow which are cooked until the fat and collagen are dissolved and become one with the broth. Aside from the meat, Bulalo is cooked alongside a unique blend of vegetables such as cabbage, string beans, onions, and corn.
One of Vietnam’s most famous dishes—Pho—also made the list for this year. This noodle soup is Vietnam’s national dish, and is traditionally made with beef or chicken broth with herbs and spices to elevate the chewy rice noodles and crunchy sprouts. Its beef and chicken variants also include meat served with the soup, and ranked 35th and 97th in the list respectively.
Other Vietnamese soups that made the list are the Hue Breakfast Noodle Soup known locally as Bún bò Huế at 57th place, the Vietnamese Sweet and Sour Soup or Canh chua cá at 76th place, and Phở bò tái chín from Northern Vietnam at 85th place.
Sarawak Laksa (top) and Laksam (bottom) | Images from Shutterstock
Several soups from Malaysia also made the list, with Sarawak Laksa being the highest ranked Malaysian soup as the 43rd best soup in the world. A signature of Sarawak and the city of Kuching, the Sarawak Laksa is a laksa variation made up of a flavorful chicken or shrimp-based broth that is seasoned with thick laksa paste and served with vermicelli noodles, shredded omelet, cooked prawns, and shredded chicken. It’s known for its mild and subtle flavor that makes it the perfect Malaysian comfort food.
Closely following at 45th place is Laksam from the Malaysian states of Kelantan and Terengganu. This delicious and flavorful noodle soup consists of rolled rice noodles simmered in a creamy fish broth that is made of coconut milk and creamy fish paste, and seasoned with ginger, shallots, and garlic and is enriched by the addition of vegetables such as sliced cucumbers or green beans and also tastes great when paired with spicy sambal.
Other Malaysian soups that made the list are the fusion dish Curry Mee at 59th place, other variations of laksa such as Assam Laksa and Penang Laksa, which were ranked 66th and 73rd place respectively.
Southeast Asia is a region that’s rich in both culture and history, a trait that is also reflected in the various meals that are part of its cuisine. And while each meal will have different origins, different stories, and different preparations, all of these dishes will still follow the same goal: to taste good, and make you feel good.
Which Southeast Asian soup are you craving for the most? Let us know in the comments below!