Servings
Font
Back
4.0 from 9 votes

Chinese Lamb Noodle Soup

This Chinese Lamb Noodle Soup recipe comes from Western Chinese cuisine. It's aromatic and earthy from lots of spices and tender lamb shanks.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs 20 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 35 mins
Servings: 5
Calories: 511 kcal
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds lamb shanks (have your butcher cut 1-2 shanks into pieces to expose the marrow; you can also use a mixture of 2 pounds lamb shanks and 1 pound lamb neck stewing bones)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 4 lices ginger (2-inches/5cm long, ⅛-inch/0.3 cm thick)
  • 3 scallions (cut into 2-inch/5cm lengths, white and green parts separated)
  • 12 cups water
  • 6 large garlic cloves (smashed)
  • 3 whole dried red chili peppers
  • 6 white cardamom pods
  • 2 star anise pods
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 nuggets sand ginger
  • 1 inch/5cm piece cassia cinnamon
  • 1 black cardamom pod
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole white peppercorns
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1/4 cup dried wood ear mushrooms (rinsed thoroughly of any dust/dirt)
  • 2-3 teaspoons salt (to taste; we prefer 3 teaspoons)
  • 18 ounces dried sweet potato glass noodles (or thin Chinese vermicelli noodles)
  • 1/2 cup Chinese celery (finely chopped, to taste)
  • 1/2 cup cilantro (leaves and stems, finely chopped to taste)
  • Chili oil, black vinegar, and freshly ground white pepper to taste, for serving  (optional)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Let the meat soak in a pot of cold water for 20 minutes. Rinse the bones off and pat dry with a paper towel.
  2. Rinse out the pot, and then place over high heat. Once any residual water in the pot has dried off, add the oil to the pot, along with the ginger slices and the thicker white and light green parts of the scallions. Cook for 1 minute.
  3. Add the lamb, and brown on all sides until lightly golden.
  4. When the lamb is browned, add the water. Also add the garlic, green parts of the scallions, and the spices (dried chili peppers, cardamom pods, star anise, bay leaves, sand ginger, cinnamon, black cardamom, coriander seeds, sichuan peppercorns, white peppercorns, and fennel seeds).
  5. Cover and simmer over medium-high heat for 30 minutes. Then reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 1 additional hour. The broth should turn cloudy and milky within the first 20 minutes of simmering.
  6. Add the dried wood ears and salt, and cook for another 30 minutes over low heat, for a total of 2 hours of cooking.
  7. When you’re ready to eat, boil the noodles per the package instructions. Transfer the lamb shanks to a cutting board. Debone them, and chop the meat roughly.
  8. Serve each bowl with 2-3 ladlefuls of broth, poured through a fine-meshed strainer. Top with a healthy pinch or two of chopped Chinese celery leaves and cilantro, and serve with chili oil, Chinese black vinegar, and white pepper as optional condiments.

Nutrition Information

Calories 511kcal (26%) Carbohydrates 92g (31%) Protein 25g (50%) Fat 4g (6%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 2g Cholesterol 77mg (26%) Sodium 1063mg (44%) Potassium 386mg (11%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 320IU (6%) Vitamin C 4mg (4%) Calcium 85mg (9%) Iron 5mg (28%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 5Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 511

% Daily Value*

Calories 511kcal 26%
Carbohydrates 92g 31%
Protein 25g 50%
Fat 4g 6%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 77mg 26%
Sodium 1063mg 44%
Potassium 386mg 8%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 320IU 6%
Vitamin C 4mg 4%
Calcium 85mg 9%
Iron 5mg 28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.