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Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup Recipe

Taiwanese beef noodle soup is full of tender beef, chewy noodles, and a savory broth layered with spice and depth.
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Prep Time:20 minutes
Cook Time:2 hours
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Beef

  • 800 –900g beef shank You can also use brisket, chuck, or finger meat, or add beef tendon for extra texture

Spice Pack

  • 1 star anise
  • 1 small cinnamon stick
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 Chinese black cardamom
  • 2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns 3g
  • 1 tsp white or black peppercorns 3g
  • 1.5 tsp fennel seeds 3g
  • 3 cloves
  • Note: The key spices are star anise, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and Sichuan peppercorn. Others are optional. You can also use a store-bought premixed Chinese spice pack for convenience.

Soup Base

  • 6 cups beef stock add 2 tsp salt if unsalted
  • 15 g rock sugar or regular sugar
  • 1 medium onion cut into chunks
  • 1 tomato cut into chunks
  • Seasoning
  • 4 tbsp neutral oil
  • ½ onion roughly chopped
  • 20 g ginger sliced (about 1½ tbsp)
  • 4 garlic cloves sliced
  • 2 tbsp Doubanjiang spicy fermented soybean paste, or more to taste
  • ¼ cup Taiwanese rice wine clear type
  • 4 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • Salt to taste

Serving

  • Chili oil optional
  • Wheat noodles for 4 people preferably thick noodles
  • 2 handfuls bok choy or your favorite greens
  • Pickled mustard greens It's a Chinese sour pickled leafy greens

Instructions

  • Soak the beef shank in cold water for about 2 hours to remove excess blood and impurities for a clearer broth. Rinse and drain well.
  • In a large pot, add the whole beef shank, the toasted spices, beef stock, onion, and tomato.
  • Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 40 minutes to 1 hour, until you can poke through with a chopstick with slight resistance. Remove the beef and cut into chunks.
  • In a wok or large pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, ginger, and garlic, and stir-fry until browned and fragrant. Stir in Doubanjiang and cook until the oil turns red and aromatic.
  • Add the beef chunks and rice wine, stir-fry for a minute to let the alcohol evaporate slightly. Then add the simmered broth, soy sauce, and dark soy sauce.
  • Bring everything to a boil, then reduce to low and let it simmer for another 30 minutes, until the beef becomes fork-tender and the broth turns rich and flavorful.
  • Taste and adjust salt as needed.
  • Boil the wheat noodles and vegetables, then place them in a bowl. Ladle the soup and beef over the noodles and top with a spoonful of pickled mustard greens. Add chili oil if you like extra heat.