This soup was inspired by Vietnamese Pho, a lovely combination of Basil and Beef, two things that are simply meant to be together now and then. Start with a homemade Beef Broth if you can. If you must use boxed Stock or Beef Base, just be careful about how much salt or Soy Sauce you add, as those broths will be quite a bit saltier. Anyway, steak lovers should know that although the meat plays an important role in this soup, it’s really all about the noodles with this recipe. Bites of steak will be few and far between with my recipe’s proportions, but if you like, you could beef it up by doubling or tripling the amount of steak I used.
Ingredients
- 2 Quarts Light Beef Stock (Light as in color, not to be confused with “lite”, a term which usually denotes a presence of evil spirits and/or an abundance of sodium and artificial flavors)
- 8 ounce pack of thin Chinese Noodles
- 8 ounce Boneless NY Strip
- 2 – 4 tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 1 teaspoon fresh, grated Ginger Root
- 3 – 4 heads Baby Bok Choy, chopped
- 8 ounces fresh Shitake Mushrooms, sliced
- 8 ounces baby Portobello Mushrooms, sliced
- 1 White Onion, minced
- 1 – 2 bunches fresh Scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh Basil, thinly sliced/chiffonade
- 1 – 2 tablespoons Toasted Sesame Oil
- Canola / Peanut Oil for stir frying
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions
Cook noodles according to package instructions, then shock with cold water and set aside. In a large soup pot, combine stock, soy sauce, and ginger. Bring to a low simmer. Warm oil in a fry pan and saute the mushrooms along with half of the minced onion until browned. Add the mushroom mixture to the soup, then repeat with the bok choy and the remaining onions. Slice the steak as thinly as possible and add the strips to the soup. Allow the meat to cook through, then remove the pot from the heat. Add the scallions, sesame oil, and basil, and salt & pepper as needed. The noodles can either be added to the pot, or to soup bowls. Ladle soup into each bowl over, or along with the noodles. You can enjoy the noodles as is, or you can add a little crushed red pepper, or Siracha Sauce if you’d like the hot n’ spicy.
How do you like your noodles? Soupy, Saucy, or Stir Fried?