Tomato Beef Slices Rice Noodle Soup Recipe

Prepare tomatoes and aromatics

Core and roughly chop the ripe tomatoes to yield about 4 cups. Peel and finely dice the onion. Peel and mince the garlic. Peel and grate or finely mince the ginger.

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat until shimmering.

Add the diced onion and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, about 4–5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and ginger and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to burn.

Add the chopped tomatoes and 2 tablespoons tomato paste to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and release their juices, about 6–8 minutes. Use the back of a spoon to help mash larger tomato pieces for a uniform base.

Pour 6 cups beef broth and 2 cups water into the pot. Stir to combine with the tomato mixture and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat.

Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper and 1 bay leaf. Stir and reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer.

Simmer the soup, partially covered, for 15 minutes to meld flavors and reduce slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or soy sauce if needed.

While the broth simmers, prepare the beef: slice the beef thinly across the grain (if not already sliced). Toss the slices with 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1 teaspoon cornstarch until evenly coated. Let sit for 5–10 minutes to marinate.

After the broth has simmered, bring it up to a gentle boil. Working in batches to avoid crowding, add a few slices of marinated beef to the boiling broth; the thin slices will cook quickly in 30–60 seconds. Stir gently and remove with a slotted spoon as they finish cooking, transferring cooked slices back into the broth to keep warm. Repeat until all beef is cooked.

Prepare the rice noodles according to package instructions: for dried wide rice noodles, soak or briefly boil until al dente (usually 4–6 minutes), then drain and rinse under warm water. For fresh rice noodle sheets, separate and blanch in boiling water 20–30 seconds and drain.

Divide cooked noodles among 4 serving bowls (approximately 3 oz cooked noodles per bowl).

Ladle hot tomato beef broth and several slices of cooked beef over the noodles in each bowl until bowls are nearly full. Make sure each bowl gets a balanced mix of broth, tomato pieces and beef slices.

Thinly slice the scallions on the bias and roughly chop cilantro and basil if using. Sprinkle scallions and cilantro (and basil, if using) over each bowl.

Add a drizzle of chili oil or a squeeze of Sriracha to taste. Serve with lime wedges so diners can squeeze fresh lime over their soup.

Optional: offer extra soy sauce, chili oil and fresh herbs at the table. Serve immediately while hot.