This fragrant recipe for Chinese Beef Noodle Soup is a delicious, and healthy soup that makes the perfect warming meal.
Asain noodle soups are my favorite! Usually, they are quick and easy to whip up for a quick meal like my Quick and Easy Chinese Noodle Soup, but the wonderful thing about this soup is it’s a slow-cooked soup that creates beautifully tender beef and a full-bodied broth that’s packed full of flavor!
This soup is based on a soup by Gok Wan. Gok is well known in the UK and when I lived there, he had a TV show on Chinese cooking that changed the way I cook Chinese food. I just love the authentic flavors and amazing simplicity of his food. I have both his cookbooks (you can find them here on Amazon)(#paidlink)… It is impossible to make a bad Gok meal.
Why This Recipe Works
- The aromatic ingredients like garlic ginger, cinnamon, and star anise create a deeply flavored broth.
- Slow cooking the beef creates tender meat that can’t be beat!
What Beef Is Best for Slow Cooking
When it comes to buying stewing meat, you probably think beef is beef, right? The ideal stew isn’t made with lean, pricier cuts of meat. It’s best to go for the less expensive, tougher cuts, that tenderize as it cooks.
I love braised & stewed beef and I adore Asian food so when I saw Gok’s soup, I just had to try it. It is so full of flavor and so healthy, I could eat it every day. It’s really easy to make, and the recipe calls for fragrant and simple ingredients.
How to make chinese beef noodle soup
- Brown the meat, ginger, and green onions.
- Pour in a splash of cooking sherry.
- Add stock and spices.
- Cover and simmer for 1 to 2 hours.
- Serve with some Chinese veg, noodles, serve and enjoy!
Step by Step Instructions
Start with having the ingredients ready. It just makes things simpler as you cook.
Begin with browning the meat with garlic, fresh ginger, and green onions.
Add a splash of dry sherry.
Next, cover with beef stock and add star anise.
Chinese five spice.
Star anise if you’re in the US, you can get it here on Amazon. (#paidlink).
Cinnamon sticks
Simmer for 1 to 2 hours
Serve with noodles and Chinese vegetables, enjoy!
Other Great Asian Recipes
Erren’s Top Tips
- Don’t skip browning the beef. That’s where the soup starts to build its deep, rich, flavor.
- Don’t take shortcuts on cooking time. Rushing the cooking time will result in beef that’s tough and chewy.
- Want a Low Carb Option? Add extra beef and enjoy the beautiful flavors without the noodles.
Did you make this?
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Let’s Make Chinese Beef Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cloves of garlic peeled and crushed
- 1 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and sliced, plus more for serving
- 4 green onions sliced into rounds
- ½ lb stewing beef cut into cubes
- 1 star anise
- ½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cups beef stock
- 1 splash dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons low sodium dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 8 oz chinese noodles of your choice
- 6 leaves Chinese cabbage shredded
- 6 leaves Bok choy/Pak choi
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a saucepan over high heat. Add the ginger, garlic, green onions and the beef and brown on all sides.
- Add the sherry and season with a little salt and pepper and allow the sherry to cook a minute.
- Cover with the beef stock.
- Add the star anise, five-spice powder, and cinnamon, and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat and simmer for one to two hours, until the meat is tender. If the liquid level dissipates during cooking, add a little water to bring it back up to the original level.
- Once the beef is tender, discard the whole spices and the chunks of ginger and garlic and put the meat to one side.
- Heat the liquid through, adding the dark & light soy sauce, fish sauce, and oyster sauce. Taste if the flavor is too intense, add more water.
- Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and cook the noodles according to the package instructions (being careful not to let them get too soft).
- while the noodles cook, Add the Chinese cabbage & Bok choy to the soup & cook until tender, but not soft (1-3 minutes depending on how you like it).
- Strain the noodles & divide them between the serving bowls.
- Divide the beef between the bowls and pour over the hot soup.
- Sprinkle over the sliced green onions and serve.
Tips + Notes
- Don’t skip browning the beef. That’s where the soup starts to build its deep, rich, flavor.
- Don’t take shortcuts on cooking time. Rushing the cooking time will result in beef that’s tough and chewy.
- Want a Low Carb Option? Add extra beef and enjoy the beautiful flavors without the noodles.
- Star anise if you’re in the US, you can get it here on Amazon. (#paidlink.
Natasha W says
I’ve made this recipe over and over after first giving it a try. Cozy and not too labor intensive. Broth is delicious, could drink it out of a mug and sometimes do.
Erren's Kitchen says
What wonderful feedback, Natasha! Thank you! We are so glad you love it and make it often. Thank you for giving it a try! 😍
Sharon says
Why did the beef come out dry?
Erren Hart says
Hi Sharon, There could be a few reasons why the beef came out dry in your soup. One possible reason is that the beef was cooked at too high of a temperature. Braising is a slow-cooking method that requires low heat and a long cooking time to break down the connective tissues in the meat and make it tender. It can become dry and tough if the beef is cooked for too long or at too high of a temperature. It could also be due to the quality of the beef used. It’s best to use a well-marbled cut of beef for braising to ensure that it stays moist and tender.
Mary friberg says
This turned out great!! Followed recipe to a t except used one pound of beef and left ginger in when serving. Soooo flavorful and warming on a winter night!
Erren Hart says
Thank you for your feedback and for leaving such a positive review! I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup, and I hope you come back again soon!
Arcy says
Could I use cinnamon powder? If yes, how much? Thanks… Im excited to try this.
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi, if using cinnamon powder start with a half teaspoon and taste as you go along to add more. I hope this helps 🙂