Chinese Beef Noodle Soup Recipe | Traditional Savory Broth
A rich, soy-and-spice Chinese beef noodle soup with tender chuck or shank simmered in a fragrant broth and served over springy noodles with greens. Layered browning and gentle simmering deliver deep flavor with flexible heat and veggie options.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef chuck or shank, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil (canola or peanut)
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
- 2 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces (plus more for serving)
- 2 medium tomatoes, wedged (or canned whole tomatoes)
- 2 tablespoons doubanjiang (spicy fermented broad bean paste) or 1 tablespoon chili bean sauce + 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1/4 cup light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 1–2 tablespoons rock sugar (or brown sugar), to taste
- 2 star anise
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 3–4 whole cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 cups water or unsalted beef stock
- Salt and white pepper, to finish
- 1–1.25 pounds fresh wheat noodles (knife-cut, udon-style, or thick dried noodles)
- Baby bok choy or spinach, a few handfuls
- Chili oil, to taste
- Fresh cilantro and sliced scallions, for garnish
Instructions
Instructions
- Optionally parboil the beef by rinsing the cubes, covering with cold water by 2 inches, bringing to a gentle boil for 2–3 minutes until foam rises, then draining and rinsing to remove impurities.
- Heat a heavy pot over medium-high, add oil, and sear beef in batches until browned on 2–3 sides, about 5–7 minutes per batch.
- Push beef to the side, add onion, ginger, garlic, and scallion pieces, and cook about 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in doubanjiang and cook about 1 minute to bloom the paste.
- Deglaze with Shaoxing wine, scraping up browned bits.
- Add tomatoes, light soy, dark soy, rock sugar, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, and water or stock, then bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a gentle simmer, partially cover, and cook 90–120 minutes until the beef is tender, skimming fat and foam as needed and adjusting soy or sugar to taste.
- Cook the noodles in a separate pot of boiling water until just tender, then rinse briefly to stop cooking and remove excess starch.
- Blanch bok choy or spinach in the noodle water for 30–45 seconds until bright and crisp-tender.
- Remove and discard whole spices from the broth, then season with salt and white pepper to taste.
- Divide noodles into bowls, ladle over hot beef and broth, top with greens, and finish with scallions, cilantro, and a drizzle of chili oil.
Notes
Serve noodles and broth separately for storage to prevent sogginess. Broth with beef keeps up to 4 days refrigerated; noodles 2–3 days. Freeze broth and beef up to 3 months and add freshly cooked noodles when serving. Adjust heat by varying doubanjiang and serving chili oil on the side. Instant Pot option: sauté, then cook on High for 35–40 minutes with natural release and reduce on sauté if needed.