Spicy beef noodle soup (香辣牛肉面)
A bowl of noodles in well spiced broth topped with tender beef cubes, spicy beef noodle soup is hot, fragrant and very comforting indeed.
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr 10 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 600 g beef, cut in cubes (21oz)
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 4 clove garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp Sichuan chilli bean paste (see note 1)
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- 1500 ml hot water (61/2 cups)
- 1 thumb-sized ginger
- 2 stalk scallions, cut in sections
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 star-anise
- 1 small piece Chinese cinnamon/cassia cinnamon
- 10 Sichuan pepper
- 1 pinch fennel seeds
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 4 portions noodles (see note 2)
- Spinach (or pak choi / bok choy)
- Fresh coriander, chopped
Instructions
- 1
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.
- 2
Heat up oil in a wok (or a deep frying pan) over medium heat. Stir in garlic, Sichuan chilli bean paste and chilli powder.
- 3
Cook until fragrant (do not burn). Pour in 1500ml (6½ cups) hot water. Cover and leave to simmer for 5 minutes.
- 4
Through a sieve, pour the spiced soup into the beef pot. Add ginger, scallions and all the other spices (see note 3).
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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).