This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Asian Beef Noodle Soup has tender short ribs and lo mein noodles in a super-flavorful beef stock that’s been seasoned with spices, soy sauce, fresh ginger, garlic, and scallions.
You’ll be completely forgiven if you start slurping this Asian Beef Noodle Soup. This is one ridiculously good soup!
Flavorful beef short ribs are seared, then simmered in beef stock with a variety of Asian-inspired spices, seasonings, and vegetables – all giving this soup so much depth of flavor. You’ll serve the soup with cooked lo mein noodles and the meat from the beef bones.
The fresh cilantro, and scallions on top add bright, fresh flavors, and a touch of sour from the lime helps balance the richness of the soup.
Why You’ll Love Asian Beef Noodle Soup
- The flavors are wonderfully balanced from the combination of beef, vegetables, seasonings, and fresh toppings.
- It’s a filling and incredibly satisfying soup.
- This is a nice change of pace from a typical beef noodle soup, and we predict you’ll add this to your regular soup-making rotation.
Key ingredients and Substitutions
- Beef Short Ribs – This is a flavorful cut of beef and the ideal base for the broth in this soup. After cooking for a long time, short ribs become quite tender and you’ll also include the meat in the finished soup.
- Broth – The beef broth includes shiitake mushrooms, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, scallions, star anise, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, black peppercorns, cilantro, coriander, sherry wine, soy sauce and chili paste, along with beef broth and water and rice vinegar.
- Vegetables – While the broth simmers, you’ll sauté thinly-sliced shiitake mushrooms, sweet onion, carrot shreds, shaved cabbage, and thinly-sliced fresh jalapeno peppers – which get added to the cooked broth along with mung bean sprouts.
- Noodles – We chose lo mien noodles for this soup for both taste and texture. You could substitute with rice noodles if you prefer.
- Soup toppings – Fresh cilantro, lime wedges and sliced scallion tops finish the soup.
Chef’s Tip – The broth in this soup is strong and bold. If you prefer a milder broth flavor, cut back on star anise, cinnamon sticks and whole cloves. You could also use all water and eliminate the added beef broth.
Special supplies needed
- Large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed soup pot.
- Mesh strainer and bowl
- Sauté pan
How do I make Asian Beef Noodle Soup?
- Sear short ribs on all sides in a Dutch oven or soup pot, then remove the beef and bones to a plate.
- Remove most of the rendered fat, then cook the vegetables that will simmer in the broth.
- Add beef ribs back to the pot, then bring to a boil. Partially cover, reduce heat, then simmer for two hours. Let sit off heat for 30 more minutes.
- While broth is cooking, gently sauté mushrooms, onion, cabbage, carrots and jalapeno. Toss in bean sprouts and set aside.
- Cook noodles, cool and set aside.
- Pick meat from bones and strain broth, then add rice vinegar. Discard bones and other solids.
- Serve by placing noodles, vegetables and meat in serving bowls and top with boiling hot broth.Top with cilantro, sliced scallion tops and lime wedges.
Frequently asked Questions
Can I make Asian Beef Noodle Soup ahead of time? Yes but keep the cooked noodles, sauteed vegetables, and broth separate until ready to serve.
How do I store leftovers? Refrigerate in a closed container for up to three days.
How do I reheat leftovers? Place noodles, vegetables, and meat in serving bowls. Top with boiling hot broth.
Can I freeze this soup? The broth can be frozen but the noodles and cooked vegetables cannot.
You may enjoy these other noodle soup recipes:
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Asian Beef Noodle Soup
Ingredients
4 pounds beef short ribs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons peanut oil (or other high smoke point oils such as vegetable or safflower or grapeseed)
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms caps, coarsely cut up
8 scallions, roots trimmed and whites cut into 2” pieces. Tops will be sliced for garnish
6 medium garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
4-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced thinly
4 star-anise pods (fewer for a milder broth)
2 cinnamon sticks (fewer for a milder broth)
6 whole cloves (fewer for a milder broth)
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 small bunch fresh cilantro with stems
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 cup good quality soy sauce
1 teaspoon chili paste
2 cups low sodium beef broth or stock
10 cups water (2 1/2 quarts)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (added after straining the broth)
Soup vegetables and noodles
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced into thin strips
1 large sweet onion, sliced in half from top to bottom, then laid flat and sliced top to bottom again into very thin strips
2 cups shredded cabbage (easiest to buy a bag of pre-shredded cabbage)
2 medium carrots, cut into small strips (a julienne peeler like this works best) or a box grater
1 small jalapeno, seeded and cut into very thin slices from one end to the other
Small bag mung bean sprouts
8 ounces dry Lo Mein noodles
Toppings
Cilantro leaves
Lime wedges
Scallion tops, sliced (reserved from earlier)
Instructions
Sprinkle the salt on all sides of the short ribs.
Heat the peanut oil over medium high heat in a large enameled Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot.
Sear the beef on all sides, about 15 minutes total. Remove the beef to a plate and pour fat into a small bowl.
Measure three tablespoons of fat back into the pan but save the rest of the fat for a later step.
Over medium heat, add mushrooms, scallions, garlic and ginger and cook for five minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon.
Add the star anise, cinnamon sticks, cloves and peppercorns and cook one minute.
Add the sherry and cook to evaporate, about two minutes.
Add the cilantro, coriander, soy sauce, chili paste, beef broth and water, then place the beef pieces back in along with any liquid that collected on the plate.
Bring to a boil, partially cover and reduce to a simmer and cook for two hours.
After two hours, cover tightly and turn off heat and let sit for 30 minutes.
While beef is cooking, in a medium to large saute pan over medium heat, add two tablespoons of the reserved fat and once hot, add the shiitake mushrooms and cook, stirring often for five minutes.
Add one last tablespoon of fat along with the onions and cabbage and cook for three minutes, stirring often.
Add the carrots and jalapeno and cook one more minute.
Toss in the bean sprouts with the hot vegetables, then remove to a plate or platter to cool. Set aside.
Cook noodles according to package directions, drain, rinse under cold water and set aside. (our lo mien noodles cooked for six minutes)
Once the beef is done, pick out the short ribs and pick the meat from the bones and gristle, shredding the meat into bite sized pieces. Set the meat aside and discard the scraps.
Pour the broth through a strainer into a large sauce pan and use a wooden spoon to squeeze the solids to extract all liquid, then mix in the rice vinegar.
Taste the broth and if too strong, dilute with a little water. Season if needed. We liked our broth strong and did not dilute or re-season. Bring the sauce pan up to a slow boil and keep hot on the stove top.
To serve, place cooked noodles, shredded beef and cooked vegetables into serving bowls and toss with a fork or chop sticks to combine, then pour over boiling hot broth.
Serve with cilantro, lime wedges and sliced scallion tops.
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Wow, My husband and I made this recipe, Asian Beef Noodle Soup, and we LOVED it. It turned out to be a lovely and fresh new recipe which we will be making in the future. Thank you.
You’re very welcome Susie – so glad you enjoyed the soup!