Chinese beef noodle soup is a classic comfort food that brings together rich, tender beef, flavorful broth, and perfectly cooked noodles. Whether you’re new to Chinese cuisine or an experienced cook, my recipe will guide you step by step to create a hearty and delicious bowl of noodles.
You can use whatever noodles you have on hand for this recipe. I’ll admit, I never thought I’d make this dish at home—not because it’s complicated, but because it takes some time.
In China, it’s easy to find this dish in restaurants, so I usually go out for it.
Plus, when I crave noodles, I have so many other quick and delicious recipes to choose from, like Braised Noodles or Stir-Fried Flat Rice Noodles, which are much faster to prepare.
The main effort in this recipe is cooking the beef, as it takes time to become tender and flavorful.
However, after trying it at home, I don’t think I’ll be ordering it in restaurants again—especially after my husband said it tasted better than at any restaurant. Now, every time I make it, I cook a big pot to last for a few meals.
Don’t be intimidated by the list of ingredients. These are common in Chinese cooking, and I believe you can easily find them in Asian grocery stores outside China. If you can’t find one or two, don’t worry—it won’t affect the dish too much.
In this recipe, I add Doubanjiang for a bit of spice and tomatoes for extra flavor, but you can skip them if you prefer.
For vegetables, I use bok choy—simply blanch and add them to the soup. Feel free to use other vegetables like spinach or cabbage. I also include a tea egg for extra richness, but that’s optional too.
Ingredients:
Main Ingredients:
- 1kg fresh beef brisket
- 300g noodles (or your preferred type of noodles)
For Blanching the Beef:
- 30g scallions, cut into sections
- 30g ginger, sliced
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
For Braised Beef:
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 20g ginger, sliced
- 50g scallions, using the white part for cooking and the green part for garnish.
- 20g garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tbsp Pixian Doubanjiang (Sichuan chili bean paste)
- 3 star anise
- 1 small piece of cinnamon stick
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 dried chilies
- 2 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp Shaoxing wine
- 50g rock sugar
Toppings:
- 100g bok choy
- 30g cilantro, chopped
- 1 tea egg (optional)
- 20g scallions, green part, chopped (for garnish)
- 30g cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions:
1. Prepare the Beef Brisket
- Rinse 1kg beef brisket thoroughly and cut into large chunks (about 3-4 cm pieces).
- In a large pot, add enough water to cover the beef. Add 30g scallions, 30g ginger slices, and 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine.
- Bring to a boil over high heat. Once it boils, skim off the foam that rises to the surface to remove impurities.
- After skimming the foam, remove the beef and rinse it with Drain well and set aside.
2. Prepare the Tomatoes
- Wash 2 tomatoes and score an “X” on the top.
- Place the tomatoes in a bowl and pour hot water over them. Let them sit for a few minutes to make peeling easier.
- Once peeled, chop the tomatoes into small pieces and set aside.
3. Stir-fry the Beef and Seasoning
- Heat 1 tbsp cooking oil in a pan over low heat. Add 20g ginger slices, 20g minced garlic, and 50g chopped scallions. Stir-fry until fragrant.
- Add the blanched beef and stir-fry on medium heat until the beef changes color.
- Add 1 tbsp Pixian Doubanjiang and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes to release the flavors.
- Add 3 star anise, 1 small piece of cinnamon stick, 3 bay leaves, and 3 dried chilies, and stir well.
- Pour in 2 tsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, and 1 tsp Shaoxing wine. Stir to coat the beef evenly with the sauces.
4. Braise the Beef
- Add the chopped tomatoes to the beef and mix well.
- Transfer the beef mixture to a clay pot or a heavy-bottomed pot. Add enough boiling water to cover the beef and stir in 50g rock sugar.
- Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 1.5 hours, or until the beef is tender.
5. Cook the Noodles and Prepare Toppings
- While the beef is simmering, prepare the noodles. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook 300g noodles according to the package instructions (usually 3-4 minutes).
- In the same pot, add 100g bok choy during the last 1-2 minutes of cooking the noodles, then remove the bok choy.
- Drain the noodles and set aside.
6. Assemble the Beef Noodle Soup
- Divide the cooked noodles into serving bowls. You can add a little of the noodle cooking water to the bowls if you like a lighter soup.
- Ladle the braised beef and its broth over the noodles.
Top each bowl with bok choy, chopped cilantro, and a tea egg if desired. Garnish with 20g scallions and 30g cilantro.
Notes:
- Be sure to thoroughly skim the foam when blanching the beef to remove any impurities and reduce any gamey taste.
- Adjust the cooking time of the noodles according to the type used. Some noodles may cook faster than others, so check the package instructions.
- The toppings can be customized to your liking. Other vegetables like spinach or mushrooms can be great additions.
Chinese Beef Noodle Soup Recipe
Ingredients
Main Ingredients:
- 1 kg fresh beef brisket
- 300 g noodles or your preferred type of noodles
For Blanching the Beef:
- 30 g scallions cut into sections
- 30 g ginger sliced
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
For Braised Beef:
- 2 tomatoes chopped
- 20 g ginger sliced
- 50 g scallions using the white part for cooking and the green part for garnish.
- 20 g garlic minced
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tbsp Pixian Doubanjiang Sichuan chili bean paste
- 3 star anise
- 1 small piece of cinnamon stick
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 dried chilies
- 2 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp Shaoxing wine
- 50 g rock sugar
Toppings:
- 100 g bok choy
- 30 g cilantro chopped
- 1 tea egg optional
- 20 g scallions green part, chopped (for garnish)
- 30 g cilantro chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
Prepare the Beef Brisket
- Rinse 1kg beef brisket thoroughly and cut into large chunks (about 3-4 cm pieces).
- In a large pot, add enough water to cover the beef. Add 30g scallions, 30g ginger slices, and 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine.
- Bring to a boil over high heat. Once it boils, skim off the foam that rises to the surface to remove impurities.
- After skimming the foam, remove the beef and rinse it with Drain well and set aside.
Prepare the Tomatoes
- Wash 2 tomatoes and score an "X" on the top.
- Place the tomatoes in a bowl and pour hot water over them. Let them sit for a few minutes to make peeling easier.
- Once peeled, chop the tomatoes into small pieces and set aside.
Stir-fry the Beef and Seasoning
- Heat 1 tbsp cooking oil in a pan over low heat. Add 20g ginger slices, 20g minced garlic, and 50g chopped scallions. Stir-fry until fragrant.
- Add the blanched beef and stir-fry on medium heat until the beef changes color.
- Add 1 tbsp Pixian Doubanjiang and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes to release the flavors.
- Add 3 star anise, 1 small piece of cinnamon stick, 3 bay leaves, and 3 dried chilies, and stir well.
- Pour in 2 tsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, and 1 tsp Shaoxing wine. Stir to coat the beef evenly with the sauces.
Braise the Beef
- Add the chopped tomatoes to the beef and mix well.
- Transfer the beef mixture to a clay pot or a heavy-bottomed pot. Add enough boiling water to cover the beef and stir in 50g rock sugar.
- Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 1.5 hours, or until the beef is tender.
Cook the Noodles and Prepare Toppings
- While the beef is simmering, prepare the noodles. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook 300g noodles according to the package instructions (usually 3-4 minutes).
- In the same pot, add 100g bok choy during the last 1-2 minutes of cooking the noodles, then remove the bok choy.
- Drain the noodles and set aside.
Assemble the Beef Noodle Soup
- Divide the cooked noodles into serving bowls. You can add a little of the noodle cooking water to the bowls if you like a lighter soup.
- Ladle the braised beef and its broth over the noodles.
- Top each bowl with bok choy, chopped cilantro, and a tea egg if desired. Garnish with 20g scallions and 30g cilantro.
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