Spicy beef noodle soup (香辣牛肉面)
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
1 hr 10 mins
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Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
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Servings
4
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Chinese
Spicy beef noodle soup (香辣牛肉面)
Description
Spicy beef noodle soup begins by blanching beef cubes to remove impurities, then simmering them in a broth made by stir-frying garlic with Sichuan chili bean paste and chili powder. Hot water is added, and the spiced liquid is poured back over the beef along with ginger, scallions, star anise, cassia cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, fennel seeds, a bay leaf, and a pinch of sugar. This fragrant, spicy broth simmers gently for 1 to 1.5 hours until the beef is tender, then the aromatics are discarded.
Noodles are cooked separately and quickly blanched vegetables like spinach or pak choi are added. The dish is assembled by placing noodles and vegetables in bowls, adding slices of tender beef, then ladling the hot, spicy broth over. The use of Pixian Doubanjiang (Sichuan chili bean paste) delivers bold, savory heat integral to Sichuan cuisine.
The soup offers a complex flavor profile, featuring numbing Sichuan peppercorns and warming spices combined with robust beefiness and a spicy chili backbone. It is a hearty, warming dish that showcases the traditional Chinese balance of heat, umami, and aromatic spices. The fresh greens add a light, crisp component to complement the rich broth.
The recipe also advises adjusting chili paste volume due to variance in saltiness and heat and recommends freezing leftovers up to one month. Noodles are cooked separately to maintain broth clarity and consistency.
Ingredients
For stewing the beef
- 600 g beef 21oz, cut in cubes
- 2 tablespoon neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoon Sichuan chili bean paste see note 1
- ½ teaspoon chilli powder
- 1500 ml water 6½ cups, hot
- 1 thumb-sized ginger
- 2 talks scallions cut in sections
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 star anise
- 1 small piece cassia cinnamon or Chinese cinnamon
- 10 Sichuan pepper
- 1 pinch fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon sugar
You also need:
- 4 portions noodle see note 2
- spinach or pak choi / bok choy
- Coriander fresh, chopped
Instructions
Blanch the beef
- Add beef cubes to a pot filled with water, Bring it to a full boil. Remove any impurities that appears on the surface. Drain then put the beef back into the pot.
Prepare the soup
- Heat up oil in a wok (or a deep frying pan) over medium heat. Stir in garlic, Sichuan chilli bean paste and chilli powder.
- Cook until fragrant (do not burn). Pour in 1500ml (6½ cups) hot water. Cover and leave to simmer for 5 minutes.
Simmer the beef
- Through a sieve, pour the spiced soup into the beef pot. Add ginger, scallions and all the other spices (see note 3).
- Bring the soup to a boil then simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours. Once the beef becomes tender cooked, discard the ginger, scallions and spices.
Cook the noodles
- Cook the noodles in another pot with plenty of water. At the end of the process, quickly blanch spinach (or pak choi) in the same pot. Drain and rinse the noodles and vegetable under cold water for a few seconds.
Assemble the dish
- Place the noodles and vegetable in serving bowls. Pour in the broth then place the beef on top. Sprinkle coriander to garnish. Serve immediately (see note 4).
Notes
- Use Pixian Doubanjiang for the authentic chili bean paste flavor; adjust amount due to saltiness and heat differences.
- Cook noodles separately to avoid clouding the broth and altering its flavor.
- Discard aromatics like ginger, scallions, and whole spices after simmering for clear broth.
- Freeze meat and broth up to one month; thaw and reheat before serving.
- Use a spice strainer if available to make removing spices after simmering easier.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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