Beef Noodle Soup Recipe

Roast and blanch bones

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Spread marrow or soup bones on a rimmed baking sheet and roast 30 minutes until browned to deepen flavor. Meanwhile place roasted bones in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes to scum; discard that water and quickly rinse bones and pot to remove impurities.

Simmer broth

Return bones to the cleaned pot and add 4 liters of fresh water. Add sliced ginger, smashed garlic, halved onion, star anise, cinnamon stick, whole cloves and bay leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Skim any foam for the first 20 minutes, then partially cover and simmer very gently for 3 hours (up to 5 hours for deeper flavor).

Season broth

After simmering, strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot. Discard solids. Stir in soy sauce, fish sauce, salt and sugar. Taste and adjust seasoning — add up to 1 tablespoon more soy or 1 teaspoon more salt as needed. Keep broth warm on low heat until serving.

Prep beef

Thinly slice the beef against the grain. Toss slices with 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon light soy and 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil until evenly coated. Let marinate 10–15 minutes while broth finishes.

Cook beef

Just before serving, bring a separate pot of water to a rolling boil. Blanch marinated beef slices in the boiling water or directly poach in the simmering broth for 20–30 seconds until just cooked through (they should remain tender). Remove immediately to avoid overcooking; set aside on a plate and cover to keep warm.

Make dough

In a large bowl, whisk together 3 cups all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Make a well, add 2 beaten eggs, 1/2 cup water and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then knead 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. If dough is too sticky, add small amounts of flour (1 tablespoon at a time).

Rest and roll

Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp towel and rest 30 minutes at room temperature to relax gluten. Divide dough into two pieces. On a lightly floured surface dusted with semolina or cornmeal, roll each piece out thinly to about 1/16–1/8 inch thick for wide flat noodles (adjust thickness to preference).

Cut and cook noodles

Using a sharp knife or pasta cutter, cut dough into wide flat ribbons (about 3/4–1 inch wide) to create the house-style wide flat egg noodles. Dust cut noodles with semolina to prevent sticking. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add a pinch of salt, and cook noodles 2–4 minutes until al dente (fresh egg noodles cook quickly). Drain and rinse briefly under hot tap water to remove excess starch and prevent sticking; toss with a few drops of oil if needed.

Vegetables

Blanch baby bok choy or napa cabbage in the boiling noodle water for 30–60 seconds until bright green and tender-crisp. Remove and drain.

Assemble bowls

Divide cooked house noodles between 4 bowls. Arrange blanched greens, a portion of the cooked beef slices and a handful of bean sprouts over the noodles. Ladle hot seasoned broth over the bowls to just cover the ingredients.

Finish and serve

Top each bowl with sliced scallions, cilantro leaves, a squeeze of lime, a drizzle of chili oil and a light sprinkle of white pepper to taste. Serve immediately so noodles and beef remain tender.