Winter

My Mom's Taiwanese Beef Noodleย Soup

by:
January 28, 2013
5
11 Ratings
My Mom's Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 2 hours
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

My mom is the best cook I know, and I'm not just saying that because she's my mom. Not only does she make some awesomely impressive dishes for potlucks and the like, she also makes awesome everyday dishes just for us, and the best thing is, she's self-taught. One of the dishes that my brother and I always demand she makes when we're home is niu rou mian, or Taiwanese beef noodle soup. Actually, the translation is a little misleading because it's not exactly niu rou tang mian (tang means soup in Mandarin). The dish my mom makes doesn't have a whole lot of soup (although you could just add beef broth if you wanted, I suppose), it's more like a healthy amount of sauce. —Joy Huang | The Cooking of Joy

Test Kitchen Notes

With a little advance planning, this recipe easily became a new favorite. The two hour braise is worth it: the beef is tender and full of flavor, simultaneously sweet and salty. The cabbage adds a little crunch and tempers the soup's flavor so that nothing overwhelms the palate. There's a stroke of genius here: The Cooking of Joy instructs you to serve the dish with ladles of the sauce thinned with some of the pasta water, creating a broth that doesn't overpower in flavor or texture. If my mom had made this for me as a child, I would surely request it on my visits home! —duclosbe1

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 scallions, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 whole star anise
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds beef shank, cut into 3/4" pieces
  • 1/2 cup rice wine
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 3 tablespoons rock sugar or brown sugar
  • 1 tomato, skinned and roughly chopped
  • 1 pound angel hair pasta
  • 1 small head napa cabbage, washed and cut into 3" pieces
Directions
  1. In a large saucepan, saute the first four ingredients in the oil for 2 minutes. Add the beef and cook until just browned.
  2. Add the wine, soy sauce, water, sugar, and tomato and heat to boiling. Reduce to a simmer and cook with the lid on for 2 hours.
  3. About 15 minutes before the beef is done, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the pasta and cook while stirring occasionally for 3 minutes. Add the napa cabbage and cook for 2 more minutes. Drain off most of the water.
  4. Divide the noodles and cabbage among 6 large bowls, adding a little of the excess hot water. Add the beef on top and ladle in some of the sauce, making sure to remove the star anise.
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87 Reviews

Jessamin
Jessamin October 3, 2021
I've been looking forward to making this all week and today was the day, and it was everything I hoped for. Super simple, made my house smell amazing, my husband ate three bowls in one sitting. I will be making this forever.
 
Joy H.
Joy H. October 3, 2021
Yay, glad you liked it!
 
Mae
Mae July 25, 2021
I made this tonight using broccoli instead of beef. That sauce is delicious! My only criticism is there was waaaaay more noodles than broccoli/tomatoes/sauce! Next time I would double those ingredients and only use 8 oz noodles.
 
Robert Y.
Robert Y. January 12, 2021
Love it, Love to, Love it!!! I have made this three times now and it turns out fabulous every time. I get a 16" whole beef shank from my favorite farmers market beef supplier....local farm....and freeze it. Then I use a dedicated hack saw to cut it into thirds while frozen (easier to cut), let thaw, and then let that simmer for awhile with the spices. Want to make sure the marrow cooks out, and the beef is fork tender. Then follow directions....I once used thicker Pho type noodles and that was chewy and yummy. Great recipe.
 
Jessamin
Jessamin October 3, 2021
This comment made me go look at your collections, as you are obviously someone who knows what they're doing!
 
Beth M.
Beth M. November 19, 2020
I bought beef shanks by mistake and could only find warnings on the internet how difficult it was to make tasty and what a bad cut of meat it was. Then I found Joy's recipe and made this very easy and delicious soup tonight on a very cold November evening when it was the PERFECT food. Now I will be buying beef shanks on purpose. What an excellent and easy to make meal!!
 
Tam
Tam October 7, 2019
This is a quick soup to put together and then let it simmer. I've never had Taiwanese noodle soup but I appreciate a hearty bowl of noodle soup and this is it. I would definitely do this one again. I garnished with cilantro, green onion, white onion slices and slices of jalapeno. With wedges of fresh limes to squeeze on top. So good.
 
Monica B.
Monica B. December 4, 2018
The whole family, even the kids love this soup.
 
Nancy
Nancy February 17, 2018
OMG! This is AMAZING! I just started simmering the broth and it tastes fabulous! I canโ€™t have soy or gluten so I substituted Coconut Aminos for the Soy Sauce- the aminos are slightly thicker but taste just like soy sauce. Thank you for sharing this recipe- itโ€™s a definite keeper and very easy to make. ๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ’•
 
Joy H.
Joy H. February 21, 2018
You're welcome! I'm glad this works for vegetarians as well!
 
Frank E.
Frank E. July 8, 2017
Whenever I've had beef noodle soup in Taiwan, it's had some kind of picked mustard green garnish. Does this recipe need some kind acidic counterpoint like that, or does it work as is?

(looking forward to trying it regardless)
 
Joy H.
Joy H. July 9, 2017
I don't think it does, but this is the way I grew up eating it. Feel free to add some if you prefer it that way. =)
 
Daniel G.
Daniel G. January 4, 2020
Black vinegar is a common tabletop condiment in China if you want a touch of acid. If you poke around at other recipe blogs for Taiwanese noodle soup some folks recommend pickled/preserved mustard greens. In the past I've tried ่Šฝ่œ but found it to be overwhelmingly salty.
 
mooksma
mooksma April 29, 2016
Can you use rice wine vinegar instead of rice wine?
 
Joy H.
Joy H. April 29, 2016
No, the rice wine helps tenderize the meat while rice wine vinegar would add too strong of a flavor. You can try substituting sake, a mild cooking wine, or just water.
 
Cindy L.
Cindy L. October 5, 2015
Thanks so much for this recipe! My husband loves beef noodle and he's always asking to eat it at his favorite restaurant. I decided to try making it at home and your recipe was so easy to make and so tasty! He loves thick, chewy noodles, so that's the only thing I changed. https://instagram.com/p/8ejEIBjvol/
 
Joy H.
Joy H. October 6, 2015
Yay, I'm glad you guys liked it! Great Instagram, too!
 
karencooks
karencooks May 10, 2015
This recipe is one of our favorites!!! Delicious soup!!!
 
tina
tina February 15, 2015
I love this recipe! It's fantastic just as you wrote it, but since I had time I cut the beef in larger chunks and braised it for 3 hrs (with +1/2 cup of water). I added 1/2 tsp of rice vinegar to give it a little brightness. I also strained the soup before serving just for presentation purposes. Thank you! I can't wait to make this for my mom one day (she's Taiwanese :) !)
 
Joy H.
Joy H. February 15, 2015
You're welcome! I hope your mom likes it, too. Did you happen to post any pictures of your finished product? I'd love to see them. =)
 
tina
tina August 24, 2016
Hi! It's a bit late, but here's a good photo of mine from last night :) I've been making it for over a year now! (can't find baby napa cabbages here in London, so I swapped to baby bok choi and hubby is GF, so rice noodles) Looove your recipe!! https://www.instagram.com/p/BJdrJYnAVq1/
 
Jamie W.
Jamie W. February 14, 2015
WOW!! What a great tasting soup. I may have eaten FOUR servings! WHOOPSIES!
 
Joy H.
Joy H. February 14, 2015
Haha, glad you liked it!
 
Jamie W.
Jamie W. February 13, 2015
The beef is braising and I cannot wait to finish this dish.
 
J H.
J H. January 12, 2015
This is a great recipe. Thanks for sharing! I've made it twice and everyone loves it!
 
Joy H.
Joy H. January 12, 2015
You're welcome! I'm glad everyone loved it!
 
emcsull
emcsull December 8, 2014
what a terrific soup, Joy, my thanks to you and your mother. Lovely and pungent. My chinese cabbage did not stay in attractive little bundles like in the picture, but just fell apart. It tasted good anyhow !
 
Joy H.
Joy H. December 8, 2014
You're welcome! I have a feeling the cabbage bundles in James' picture were artfully arranged after the soup was plated ;) If you look at my picture it's a lot messier, but still very yummy!
 
cream C.
cream C. December 1, 2014
I made this with savoy cabbage and mung bean noodles--the results were a sheer delight. It was also GREAT reheated for lunch the next day. I recommend a little Sriracha or red pepper flakes to spice things up!
 
Tanya
Tanya November 16, 2014
I've made this a couple of times now and absolutely love it. I didn't think it would be so easy to make such a satisfying noodle soup at home with such few ingredients and steps. Blogging about this to spread the love. Thanks!
 
Joy H.
Joy H. November 16, 2014
Yay, you're welcome! I'm glad you liked it! Looking forward to seeing your blog post about it.
 
Jenny H.
Jenny H. September 26, 2014
This was so delicious! We didn't have rice wine, used sherry and little sugar instead. Would make this again in a heartbeat!
 
Evelyn
Evelyn December 25, 2013
I made this today for my family potluck and got raves from my Taiwanese relatives. This recipe is actually pretty easy and the result is very flavorful.
 
Pam C.
Pam C. December 18, 2013
This soup sounds wonderful! I am on a strict diet and would like to know the calorie and nutritional information on the soup. Thanks, PC
 
Travler2130
Travler2130 December 18, 2013
My husband also has diabetes. I sub agave syrup for sugar and use half the amount called for.
 
rebecca
rebecca December 18, 2013
My husband has type 2 diabetes, what do suggest instead of the sugar?
 
Barb168
Barb168 January 25, 2015
Stevia!
 
ECMotherwell
ECMotherwell November 18, 2013
Another rave for this recipe -- it's DELICIOUS! Due a last-moment choice to make this and to spotty grocery offerings, I had to make a few subs: beef ribs for shank (excellent!) and ground anise seed plus a pinch of all-spice for star anise, which was not bad! Looking forward to trying it with star anise...
 
kgindermaur
kgindermaur July 7, 2013
This recipe is excellent. The brown sugar, rice wine, star anise, and ginger bring out some wonderful flavors in the normally tough beef shank. Savory and delicious!
 
Yazoolulu
Yazoolulu June 19, 2013
This is a wonderful recipe. I made it the other night and used shredded green and purple cabbage because I didn't have napa. Squeezed fresh lime juice in at the end and garnished with fresh mint and basil. It was a big hit.
 
KarenNJ
KarenNJ March 26, 2013
I made it last night and it was one of the best dishes I've ever made! A definite keeper. Thanks so much for sharing!
 
Racr M.
Racr M. March 25, 2013
I eat gluten free- used mai fun noodles instead....
 
Travler2130
Travler2130 March 18, 2013
This was fantastic! I followed the recipe exact. It will be a go too recipe.
 
KarenNJ
KarenNJ March 18, 2013
I just made a batch of homemade beef broth. Do you think this would be a good alternate to the water, or do you think the flavor would be too strong? I can't wait to try this!
 
Joy H.
Joy H. March 18, 2013
I think it would be great! But check the saltiness level of the broth before using. If it's pretty salty, I'd definitely scale back on the soy sauce.
 
tillie
tillie March 17, 2013
I made this as indicated with a light soy sauce and beef with alittle fat on it. It was divine yesterday and only improved today.I used rice sticks because I love 'em. They soaked up the flavor overnight in the broth like a sponge.Added a bit of fresh mint,coriander and it is an infallable recipe for deep fulfillment.Thank you so much for sharing it with the community!
 
Chef T.
Chef T. March 14, 2013
I made this for dinner last night. I couldn't find beef shanks at my grocery store so I used some beef stew meat instead. It was DELICIOUS!!!! This is definitely a keeper!
 
Alice C.
Alice C. March 14, 2013
OMG, love this!
 
More P.
More P. March 13, 2013
Good but way too salty. Perhaps low sodium suy sauce?
 
Treebird
Treebird March 13, 2013
I dont eat wheat. What noodle would be a good sub? Rice noodles an in Vietnamese pho?
 
Joy H.
Joy H. March 13, 2013
Sure! Since they're already made to be used in a noodle soup, I think pho noodles would be a great non-wheat substitute!
 
helchose
helchose March 13, 2013
I would think rice sticks would be fine.
 
Lil'BC
Lil'BC March 13, 2013
my mom's is very similar but we also use 1 small can of tomato sauce, and daikon (chopped into large chunks) instead of napa cabbage. so glad to see you are sharing the love of taiwanese niu rou mien :)
 
Heather H.
Heather H. March 13, 2013
I wonder if using beef cheek would work with this, what do you think? Perhaps the gelatinous aspect of the meat would work well with the spices.
 
Joy H.
Joy H. March 13, 2013
I've never cooked beef cheek before, but a quick google shows that it's usually braised, so I think it would work just fine!
 
Heather H.
Heather H. March 14, 2013
Thank you! This will be my Sunday supper!
 
TarragonTime
TarragonTime March 13, 2013
Looking forward to trying it this weekend, but can you tell me what BRAND of Soy Sauce you use? I think it can make or break this one.....Thanks!
 
Joy H.
Joy H. March 13, 2013
I like using Wanjashan because that's what my mom uses.
 
TarragonTime
TarragonTime March 13, 2013
Great - will track it down.... but another quick question....Wan Ja Shan makes several different soys "Regular", "Less Sodium", "Premium Aged", "Aged", "Tamari Soy", and "Sashimi Soy". Which does your Mom use? Thanks!!!!
 
Joy H.
Joy H. March 13, 2013
My mom uses regular.
 
young V.
young V. March 13, 2013
This recipe looks great! Would you have any advice as to what type of soy sauce is authentic for this dish?
 
Joy H.
Joy H. March 13, 2013
I like using Wanjashan because that's what my mom uses.
 
young V.
young V. March 13, 2013
Thanks, but I mean type (probably regular light soy sauce?)and not brand, because I might not have exactly the same brands available over here in Europe.
 
Joy H.
Joy H. March 13, 2013
I've used regular and aged, and both worked fine.
 
Rob P.
Rob P. March 13, 2013
Any advice on keeping leftovers? Should the noodles and cabbage be kept separate? I'm single and I love being able to cook a delicious soup and eat it for days.
 
Joy H.
Joy H. March 13, 2013
I would just cook enough noodles for however much you want to eat for that meal. The stew (with the cabbage) can be kept in the fridge for a few days. Then just cook more noodles each time you want to eat more. Heat up a portion of the stew in the microwave while you're cooking the noodles and then rinse the noodles and combine.
 
cobe
cobe March 19, 2013
Rob - you can definitely cook extra noodles to save time. They will also keep covered in the fridge for a few days. Get what you need into a bowl, cover and reheat in the microwave at 80% for 1-1.5 min. Hot broth over them and you're good to go. I do that when I make pho.
 
citygirl
citygirl March 13, 2013
Do you have a good recipe for Ants Climbing on Trees, or other great noodle dishes? Hope so.
 
Joy H.
Joy H. March 13, 2013
I've never made Ants Climbing Trees before, but here's some other good noodles dishes I've made (including jjajungmyeon, ramen, udon, and Hong Kong style pan-fried noodles): http://the-cooking-of-joy.blogspot.com/search/label/noodles
 
helchose
helchose March 13, 2013
I make a stew of canned tomatoes, garlic, star anise and oxtails. It's delicious. I like this variation on that.
 
Monadog
Monadog March 13, 2013
Can I make this soup using red and yellow peppers instead of cabbage and minced beef instead of shanks? Would really appreciate your advice.
 
Joy H.
Joy H. March 13, 2013
Hmm, you could probably try it but it would definitely not be considered Taiwanese beef noodle soup then. And if you're using minced beef (is that the same as ground beef?) you probably won't need to cook the beef for 2 hours. Actually, you're probably better off just making chili if you really want to make a stew with minced beef and peppers.
 
Monadog
Monadog March 13, 2013
I was thinking about using ground beef because I have some lying around in the fridge. I live in France where it is snowing a lot at the moment so I just thought that I could make your wonderful noodle soup recipe to beat the cold but adapted to what I already have in the fridge becuase the snow is making it difficult to go out shopping! I always keep a bunch of different types of noodle packets in the house though for emergencies and because I love noodles and noodle soups:)
 
Joy H.
Joy H. March 13, 2013
Maybe try making Cincinnati Chili? It's not a noodle soup per se, but you do eat it with noodles! http://the-cooking-of-joy.blogspot.com/2009/03/cincinnati-chili.html
 
Monadog
Monadog March 13, 2013
Thank you very much for the advice. I just saw your chili recipe and it sounds really delicious - I will think about it!
 
Patricia S.
Patricia S. March 13, 2013
I am going to test this recipe out with my parents in law as they are Taiwanese. Will let you know how it went. Excited!
 
Joy H.
Joy H. March 13, 2013
Good luck!
 
Diana P.
Diana P. March 10, 2013
Just made this for dinner and it was a big success all around the table. I browned the shank bones and let them braise with the meat, scooping out and incorporating the bone marrow at the end - yum.
 
Justin W.
Justin W. March 4, 2013
Damn this is even better than the beef noodle soup at my local taiwanese noodle shop, thanks!
 
Helana B.
Helana B. March 3, 2013
This looks so appetizing! I think it's a perfect recipe who wants to make a good soup that isn't too complicated.
 
Bob P.
Bob P. March 2, 2013
That is a lot of soy sauce!!! Is this correct?
 
Joy H.
Joy H. March 2, 2013
Yup, it is! Feel free to use less if you like, but the meat won't be as flavorful.
 
Diana P.
Diana P. March 2, 2013
What a beautiful bowl of food and a lovely, simple recipe. I must try it!
 
gina C.
gina C. March 2, 2013
I love this because it is authentic yet I don't need to run out and get a ton of ingredients. I had absolutely everything I needed in my cabinets!
 
Beautiful, M.
Beautiful, M. February 22, 2013
Congrats! I'm so glad to see Taiwanese beef noodle soup represented here! (I would have entered mine/my mom's if I hadn't missed this contest. It's slightly different; you can check it out on my blog or on Salon if you're interested.) If you haven't seen it yet, you should watch Anthony Bourdain eating beef noodle soup in The Layover Taipei-- but it's the clear broth variety, which I don't consider the classic. I use what are sold as "Chinese style dried noodles" in the big boxes in Asian markets, but I remember when I grew up, far away from Asian markets, my mom would sometimes use spaghetti. You know, like Marco Polo.
 
ChefJune
ChefJune February 11, 2013
I really want to eat this soup, but I'm thinking I'd prefer a rice noodle in it. What do you think?
 
Joy H.
Joy H. February 11, 2013
I don't see why that wouldn't work! Angel hair pasta is just what my mom usually uses since it's easier to find in the grocery stores. Please let me know how it works out!