Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

This Beef Noodle Soup recipe is my comfort food in a bowl. The tender beef, slippery noodles and flavorful broth transports me back to Taiwan with every slurp.

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Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup can be found almost everywhere in Taiwan. From small shops, food stalls and high-end eateries, it’s not uncommon to find several vendors on any given street. In a hurry? You can even find it at 7-11 <- not a typo!

In Taiwan, the cost to eat out is often comparable or even less than cooking at home. Unfortunately, that is never true here in the states. The last time I ordered Beef Noodle Soup (Jan 2024), my final tab for a family of 4 was a whopping $85! Hello inflation!

I luckily have a family recipe for Beef Noodle Soup. My girls request it all the time. We haven’t taken them to Taiwan yet. I have a sneaky suspicion that once they do visit, they will request these noodles even more often. No problem! I love it too.

As the name suggests, the main ingredient is beef. The type of beef will vary from recipe to recipe but the one commonality is that it is always braised until it is fork tender. We have always used shank for our beef noodle soup. It is a tougher cut of meat that transforms into a tender, tasty bite when braised.

In addition to shank, I add some beef tendon to the soup. There is something about the slippery, chewy texture that contrasts with the braised beef. It adds an extra hour of braise time, but worth it if you are a fan of tendon.

How to Make Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

This recipe is not very complicated, though it does take a few hours of unattended braise time.

1. The first step is to blanche the beef to remove some impurities. Simply fill a pot with water, add the beef and bring it to a boil. Allow it to rapidly boil for 3-5 minutes, then carefully drain the water and rinse the beef. Be extremely careful handling the hot water.
   
2. The next step is to make a rich soup base. In a stock pot or Dutch oven, lightly sauté the aromatics (ginger, garlic, green onion, onion, tomatoes) and the previously blanched beef. Sauté for a few minutes, just until the beef begins to brown and the aromatics become fragrant. Add the seasonings (spicy bean sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce) and fry it until the sauce begins to thicken and caramelize.
   
3. By now you can smell the intense flavors. Add the spices (rock sugar, rice wine, 5-spice packet, star anise), cover with water and boil for about 2 hours. If you are adding tendon, add it now.
   
4. Check it periodically. You want the beef tender but not over cooked and falling apart. When it is to your liking, remove the beef, leaving the tendon in the pot.
   
5. Allow the tendon to continue braising until it is done. Tendon takes longer to break down, it usually adds an additional hour.
   
6. Once the tendon is ready, return the beef to the pot, stir it up and your Braised Beef Noodle Soup is complete.

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup is traditional served with some steamed greens, bok choy is my family’s choice. Top it off with a little pickled mustard greens for a little tangy/sour contrast.