Liuzhou Soup Recipe

Blanch bones

Place beef bones in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and boil 5 minutes to remove impurities. Drain and rinse bones under running water. Rinse the pot.

Make stock

Return blanched bones to the cleaned pot. Add 4 L fresh water, river snails (cleaned), smashed ginger, crushed garlic, white parts of green onions, Sichuan peppercorns, and bay leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer, skimming any scum that rises, and simmer partially covered for 3–4 hours until broth is deeply flavored.

Finish broth

After simmering, strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot. Discard solids. Season with 2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp white pepper. Keep hot. Taste and adjust salt. If you want a clearer snail aroma, simmer with the snails only for the first hour then remove shells and continue; otherwise strain everything together.

In a small saucepan or skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tsp oil, add the sour bamboo shoots (rinsed and sliced) and pickled Chinese cabbage. Stir for 2–3 minutes to heat through and lightly caramelize edges — this wakes flavors and reduces harshness.

Add the warmed bamboo shoots and pickled cabbage to the strained hot broth (about 6–8 cups of liquid after straining). Stir in rice vinegar (2 tbs) and 1 tsp fermented bean paste (or 1 tsp light soy for milder). Simmer together 5–10 minutes to marry flavors. Taste and adjust acidity or salt: add additional vinegar 1 tsp at a time if you want brighter sourness.

Prepare lily flowers: if dried, soak in warm water 20–30 minutes until pliable, squeeze out excess water and slice. If fresh, rinse and trim. Add lily flowers and bean curd skin to the broth in the last 3–5 minutes of simmering to heat through without becoming mushy.

Blanch greens: bring a separate pot of water to a boil, blanch the assorted greens 20–40 seconds until bright and tender-crisp, then transfer to an ice bath or cold water to stop cooking. Drain and set aside.

Toast peanuts: in a dry skillet over medium heat, toast raw/blanched peanuts, stirring, until golden and fragrant, about 4–6 minutes. Cool and roughly chop if desired. Reserve for garnish.

Cook rice noodles according to package instructions (fresh typically 1–2 minutes, dried 4–6 minutes). Rinse under hot water briefly to remove starch and keep slightly chewy. Drain well.

Optional: Prepare beef shank

If adding beef shank ($4.99 option), simmer the 1/2 lb beef shank in a small pot of water with 1/2 inch sliced ginger and 1 green onion for about 1.5–2 hours until tender. Remove, cool slightly, slice thinly against the grain. Keep warm by briefly dipping in hot broth before serving.

Portion: divide cooked rice noodles between 4 bowls (serves 4).

Add toppings: arrange blanched greens, bean curd skin, lily flowers, toasted peanuts, and pickled vegetable pieces over the noodles. If using beef shank, add slices on top.

Ladle hot sour-snail-beef broth over the noodles and toppings, filling each bowl until ingredients are submerged and broth is steaming.

Finish with garnishes: sprinkle chopped cilantro and sliced green onion, drizzle ~1/2 tsp chili oil per bowl (or to taste), add fried shallots/garlic if using, and serve with lime wedge on the side.

Serve immediately so noodles remain pleasantly springy. Provide extra vinegar, chili oil, or pickled vegetables at the table for guests to adjust sourness and heat.