Lanzhou Lamb Noodle Soup
A fragrant, warming Chinese noodle soup with tender lamb, aromatic spices, and a deeply flavored broth. Ready in under 30 minutes with one pot and minimal ingredients.
- Total time
- 28 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 28g
Ingredients
- ½ lb lamb shoulder, boneless
- 2 whole star anise
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
- 3 whole scallions
- 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger
- 6 oz fresh noodles or dried wheat noodles
- 1 to taste salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- 1
Pat the lamb shoulder dry with paper towels, then cut it against the grain into 1-inch cubes — imagine slicing across the muscle fibers so the pieces are tender when cooked.
- 2
Crush the star anise lightly with the flat side of a knife so they crack open, which lets their flavor release into the broth.
- 3
Lightly toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry skillet over medium heat for 30 seconds, stirring once, until they become fragrant — then set aside.
- 4
Cut the white and light-green parts of the scallions into 2-inch lengths; set aside separately from any dark-green tops.
- 5
Slice the ginger lengthwise from the top to the root into 4 thin slices about the thickness of a coin — do not peel it.
- 6
Bring 6 cups of water to a rolling boil in a large pot over high heat, about 5 minutes — the surface should be rapidly bubbling.
- 7
Carefully add the lamb cubes to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes, stirring once, to seal the outside and remove impurities.
- 8
Pour the lamb and water through a fine-mesh strainer into a colander, discard the liquid, and rinse the lamb under cool water until the water runs clear.
- 9
Return the rinsed lamb to the cleaned pot and add 6 cups of fresh water, the star anise, toasted peppercorns, ginger slices, and scallion whites.
- 10
Bring to a gentle boil over high heat, then immediately reduce to medium-low heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until the lamb is fork-tender.
- 11
Add the noodles to the simmering broth and cook according to the package directions — typically 3–4 minutes for fresh, 5–6 minutes for dried.
- 12
Taste the broth and stir in salt and pepper until it tastes warm, savory, and balanced — you should not taste any single spice alone.
- 13
Ladle the soup into two bowls, making sure each gets equal amounts of lamb, noodles, and broth with the spices floating in it.
- 14
Scatter the reserved dark-green scallion tops over each bowl and serve immediately while steaming hot.
Tools you’ll need
- 12-inch skillet or small saucepan
- large pot (8-quart or bigger)
- fine-mesh strainer
- colander
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- wooden spoon
- ladle
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