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Beef Noodle Soup Quick, Easy & Delicious

Beef noodle soup, a super simple & tasty soup featuring flank steak and noodles cooked in a soy enriched broth, all in under 30 minutes.

A recipe that is perfect main course hearty soup but also a wonderful starter for a multi course feast, it’s even quick enough to rustle up for lunch.

Beef noodle soup featuring udon noodles, spinach & carrot in a dark soy broth.

Asian Steak and Noodle Soup

I love a good bowl of soup and this easy beef noodle soup has influences scattered across Asia. It is part Taiwanese, part Chinese and it even features a little bit of Vietnamese Pho.

I love noodle soups, I have a hoisin Chicken Noodle Soup, a Thai curry chicken noodle soup recipe and a delicious and spicy pork ramen noodle soup too!

In the main, the ingredients in this quick soup recipe are store cupboard essentials. Well, they are for me anyway, soy sauces and rice wine are as common a feature in my pantry as salt and pepper.

This recipe takes no more than 25 minutes to cook and is super simple yet makes for a filling meal.

The beef stays beautifully tender and soft and the dried mushrooms really enrich this glorious soup.

As with all stock or broth-based soups by the very best stock you can get or make your own. It is, after all, the core component of this recipe and it will define the flavour of the dish more than any other element.

This beef noodle soup recipe sits in a series of takeaway influenced soups like chicken and sweet corn soup, tom yum soup, and Chinese hot and sour soup.

Close up beef noodle soup featuring udon noodles & spinach in a dark soy broth.

Frequently Asked Questions.

Are two types of soy sauce really needed?

Yes! Light soy sauce and dark soy sauce are completely different products and bring completely different flavours to this dish.

They are not and are never interchangeable! If recipes just use the name soy sauce it will typically refer to light soy sauce.

What are Mun mushrooms?

Mun mushrooms are also called cloud ear mushrooms and wood ear fungus, in Japanese it gets even more appealing as the literal translation is “rough-hair-tree-jellyfish”.

The flavour is very mild but it has the most incredible texture that is hard to define. They also add a big lump of fibre to the dish.

If the texture is not for you then you can replace them with dried shiitkae mushrooms. The swap is like for like.

Can I use any other type of noodle?

Yes, of course! You will need to monitor the cooking time as they will all vary slightly.

Egg noodles tend to be fine cooked in the beef broth.

If you wanted to use rice or glass noodles I would cook them separately. Cook as per instructions then refresh in cold water and add them right at the end with the beef just to reheat.

Overhead beef noodle soup featuring udon noodles & spinach in a dark soy broth

How To Use Dried Mushrooms.

Dried mushrooms are a fantastic product that will liven up so many recipes.

They are simple to use too, all you need to do is steep them in hot water. Essentially it is exactly the same as making a pot of tea! They pack a huge amount of flavour and can be used in a host of recipes.

In this beef noodle soup recipe they add both flavour and texture, I use dried mun mushrooms.

But all mushrooms can be dried and you use them in the same way, steep in water and add to your recipe. They would be a great addition to either my balsamic mushroom risotto or even my cream of mushroom soup!

They can initially seem expensive, but you do not need to use many in a recipe. Stored correctly in an airtight container they will last “forever”.

Beef noodle soup featuring spinach & dried mushrooms in a dark soy broth.

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

  • Stovetop.
  • Wok.
  • Mixing bowl.
  • Kettle for boiling water to soak the mushrooms.
  • Stirring and serving spoons.
  • Chopping board.
  • Kitchen knife.
  • Weighing scales and or measuring jug, cups and spoons.
Beef noodle soup featuring spinach & dried mushrooms in a dark soy broth.
Yield: 2 Servings

Quick Beef Noodle Soup Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Simple ingredients get an Asian twist in this Chinese and Taiwanese influenced beef noodle soup, super quick to make and full of big flavours!

Ingredients

  • 250g (9oz) Flank Steak
  • 75g (¾-1 Cup) Carrots
  • 35g (½ Cup) 2 Small Spring Onions
  • 2 Cloves Garlic
  • 35g Thumb Sized Piece Ginger
  • 25g (⅔ Cup) Dried Mun Mushrooms
  • 250ml (½ Cup) Boiling Water
  • 500ml (2 Cups) Beef Stock
  • 1 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
  • 3 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
  • 2 Tbsp Rice Wine
  • 75g (2 Cups) Baby Spinach
  • 75g (2½oz) Udon Noodles
  • 2 Tbsp Oil
  • ¼ Tsp Salt
  • ½ Tsp Pepper

Instructions

  1. Begin by soaking the dried mushrooms in the boiling water for 10 minutes.
  2. Whilst these are soaking cut your spring onions and carrots into batons 2-3cm (¾-1¼") long and as thin as you can.
  3. Finely slice your garlic cloves and slice your ginger into fine batons.
  4. Slice your beef across the grain into 2-3mm (⅛") thick slices 4-5cm (1¾-2") long.
  5. Heat a wok over a fierce heat and then add half of the oil.
  6. Season the beef with salt and pepper then stir fry until nicely coloured (2 minutes).
  7. Remove the beef and set aside.
  8. Return the wok to the heat add the remaining oil and then stir-fry the garlic, ginger, carrots, and spring onions for 2 minutes.
  9. Add in the rice wine followed by the soy sauces and beef stock, then the dried mushrooms and the steeping liquid.
  10. Bring this to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes.
  11. Add the noodles and simmer for 2 minutes.
  12. Add the beef and spinach cook for a final 30-60 seconds and serve immediately.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 526Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 2076mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 45g

Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.

Did you make this recipe?

If you made this recipe, I'd love to see what you did and what I can do better, share a picture with me on Instagram and tag me @krumplibrian and tell me how it went!

kim

Monday 15th of October 2018

What a warm, delicious dinner idea! It's chilly and rainy outside and this looks like the perfect meal to whip up!

Brian Jones

Thursday 18th of October 2018

Thanks Kim

Shashi at SavorySpin

Monday 15th of October 2018

This Taiwanese beef noodle soup might be "stripped back and hurried up" but it looks exquisite - like it had been simmering for hours!

Brian Jones

Thursday 18th of October 2018

Thank you, the dried shrooms help give it that simmmered for hours flaovur too!

Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry

Monday 15th of October 2018

Noodle soup is such a delicious option for lunch or dinner and this looks incredible! I could do with a bowlful right now!

Brian Jones

Thursday 18th of October 2018

Thanks Bintu

Kavita Favelle

Monday 15th of October 2018

Love the switch of steak to rump so you can ensure it's tender in this shorter cooking time recipe, it looks so succulent. I love the flavours of East Asia and we ate so well when we visited Taiwan!

Brian Jones

Thursday 18th of October 2018

Ilove rump steak, of all the steaks to choose from it is probably my favourite, a great combination of good flavour and good texture when cooked quickly.

Adrianne

Monday 15th of October 2018

Brian, I wish I was having this for dinner, it looks so heart warming and delicious! I haven't used dried mushrooms too often but this has encouraged me to give it a go! I am definitely giving this recipe a go.

Brian Jones

Thursday 18th of October 2018

Thanks Adrienne, they are a fantastic store cupboard ingredient, they last forever and add a depth of flavour to stocks and broths impossible to get any other way.

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