Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup with Beef Balls
Serves 4 · Prep: 20 minutes · Cook: 2 to 3 hours · Total: about 3 hours
There are a lot of dramatic bowls of Taiwanese beef noodle soup out there: deep red broth, thick cuts of beef, chili oil floating on top. This version is a little quieter. The broth is still savory and aromatic, with soy sauce, ginger, garlic, scallions, and warm spices, but it lands more like the kind of bowl you would want at home: beefy, comforting, and not too heavy.
The beef balls make it especially cozy. They add that bouncy texture you get in Taiwanese noodle shops, while the braised beef gives the soup its richness.
Ingredients
For the beef and broth
- 1½ lb beef shank, chuck, or brisket, cut into large chunks
- 8 to 10 beef balls
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 5 slices ginger
- 5 cloves garlic, smashed
- 3 scallions, cut into large pieces
- ½ onion, sliced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional but good)
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine or Shaoxing wine
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 star anise
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 6 cups water or beef stock
- Salt, to taste
For serving
- Wheat noodles, knife-cut noodles, or fresh Taiwanese-style noodles
- Bok choy or another leafy green
- Chopped scallions
- Pickled mustard greens (optional)
- Chili crisp or chili oil (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Blanch the beef
Put the beef in a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Let it boil for 3 to 5 minutes, then drain and rinse the beef. This gives the broth a cleaner taste.
- 2
Build the base
In a clean pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic, scallions, and onion. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant.
- 3
Add the seasoning
Stir in the tomato paste, if using, and cook for about 1 minute. Add the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, star anise, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and white pepper.
- 4
Braise the beef
Add the blanched beef and the water or beef stock. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 1½ to 2½ hours, until the beef is tender. Add salt to taste near the end.
- 5
Add the beef balls
Add the beef balls during the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking, just long enough for them to heat through and soak up some broth.
- 6
Cook the noodles and greens
Cook the noodles separately according to the package directions. Blanch the bok choy or greens in the noodle water for 30 to 60 seconds.
- 7
Assemble
Divide noodles into bowls. Add beef, beef balls, greens, and hot broth. Finish with scallions, pickled mustard greens, and chili oil if you want more of a Taiwanese noodle shop flavor.
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