Quick Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup
Aromatic beef broth with tender noodles, built in 25 minutes using ground beef and pantry spices. A one-pot weeknight dinner that tastes like hours of simmering.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 28g
Ingredients
- ½ lb ground beef
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 whole star anise pods
- ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, sliced thin
- 6 oz dried wheat noodles (or fresh ramen noodles)
Instructions
- 1
Pour 4 cups beef broth into a large pot and place it over medium-high heat until steam rises rapidly from the surface and you see small bubbles breaking at the center, about 4 minutes.
- 2
While the broth heats, add the ground beef to a skillet over medium-high heat and break it apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks, stirring every 10 seconds until no pink remains and the beef looks crumbly and browned, about 5 minutes.
- 3
Slide the browned beef from the skillet into the hot broth, scraping the bottom of the skillet with the spoon to catch any stuck-on brown bits, and let them fall into the pot.
- 4
Pour 2 tablespoons soy sauce into the broth and stir for 5 seconds until the liquid darkens evenly throughout.
- 5
Add 2 whole star anise pods and 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh ginger to the broth, then stir once and leave them floating—they will steep and flavor the liquid as it simmers.
- 6
Sprinkle 0.5 teaspoon dried chili flakes over the surface of the broth and stir gently for 3 seconds until they are evenly distributed and the broth smells peppery.
- 7
Bring the broth back to a gentle rolling boil over medium heat—small bubbles should break the surface steadily, not violently—then reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer.
- 8
Simmer the seasoned broth for 5 minutes so the spices infuse into the liquid and the flavors meld—you should smell a warm, aromatic fragrance.
- 9
Increase the heat to medium-high until you see a gentle boil again, then add 6 oz dried wheat noodles directly to the pot and stir immediately with a wooden spoon to separate them.
- 10
Cook the noodles according to their package time (usually 8–10 minutes), stirring every 30 seconds, until they bend easily when you lift one with a fork and taste tender, not chalky.
- 11
Taste the broth by lifting a spoonful to your lips; add a tiny pinch of salt if it tastes flat, and stir once more until the salt dissolves.
- 12
Pour the soup into two bowls, dividing the noodles and broth equally between them, and position a star anise pod and a few slices of ginger in each bowl.
Tools you’ll need
- large pot with lid
- skillet
- wooden spoon
- slotted spoon (optional, for serving)
- two soup bowls
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
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