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Beef Noodle Soup

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Beef Noodle Soup with seasoned broth, tender steak, rice noodles, cilantro, sprouts and jalapeños. Full of flavor and great on a cold day!

Let me start out by saying to all of you die-hard Pho lovers out there, this is not Pho. Authentic pho takes a bit more time and a few more ingredients that can be a bit hard to get your hands on.  That said, this Beef Noodle Soup is my take on the popular Vietnamese soup and it is pretty darn good. In fact my entire family loved this soup and asked me to make it again right after they were finished.

A great beef noodle soup starts with a great beef broth which in this case, does take about 1 hour to simmer. Once the broth is done simmering though, this soup comes together rather quickly. Let’s talk about everything you’re going to need to make it.

Beef Noodle Soup Ingredients: 

There are essentially two parts to this soup: the broth and the the soup itself. For the seasoned beef broth you’ll need: 

Overhead photo of beef noodle soup ingredients.
  • BEEF BROTH: You will want to use low-sodium beef broth when making this recipe. Store-bought broths can be a bit salty but by using low-sodium you can better control the saltiness in the dish. 
  • ONION: You will use yellow onion in two different ways when making this soup. Half of the onion will be left whole and used to season the broth. You will thinly slice the other half and add it to your soup bowls. 
  • GARLIC: To season the broth. 
  • THAI CHILIES: Also know as Bird’s Eye Chiles, these can be pretty spicy. You may be able to find them in your local grocery store but for sure could find them at an Asian market. If you can’t find them you can substitute serrano or jalapeño peppers. 
  • WHOLE CLOVES: Cloves add a warm, spicy sweet flavor to the broth. 
  • CINNAMON: Also adds a warm, subtle sweetness to the broth. 
  • SOY SAUCE: Adds saltiness and flavor to the broth. 

Once you make the beef broth, you’re going to want to assemble the bowls. To do that you’ll need the following ingredients: 

  • SIRLOIN STEAK: Traditional pho uses very thinly sliced raw beef that cooks when you pour the hot broth over the top. For this recipe you’ll use thinly sliced steak but will cook it before adding it to the broth to make sure that it is fully cooked in your soup. 
  • RICE NOODLES: Thin rice noodles should be readily available in the Asian aisle of your grocery store. 
  • BEAN SPROUTS: Add crunch and texture to the soup. 
  • JALAPEÑOS: These are optional but I love adding them. They add a little bit of heat. 
  • CILANTRO
  • SALT AND PEPPER
  • SRIRACHA AND HOISIN: Sriracha for heat and hoisin for sweetness. Served on the side so people can add their own. 

Step by Step Photos and Instructions: 

There isn’t many steps to making Beef Noodle Soup. It’s actually pretty easy. Follow along with these step by step photos and instructions: 

  • STEP #1: Make the seasoned beef broth by combining beef broth with onion, cloves, garlic, cinnamon, soy sauce and cinnamon stick in a large pot. Simmer on low for 1 hour. 
  • STEP #2: After the beef broth has simmered use a strainer to remove the onions, cloves, cinnamon stick, garlic and peppers. Keep warm. 
  • STEP #3: Prepare noodles according to package instructions. Set aside. 
  • STEP #4: Brown steak in olive oil. 
  • STEP #5: Assemble the bowls. Evenly divide the noodles, bean sprouts, thinly sliced onion and cooked beef among the bowls. Ladle the beef broth over the top. Serve with thinly sliced jalapeños, cilantro, sriracha and hoisin on the side. 

Storage and Leftovers: 

You can make all of the components to the dish ahead of time and simply assemble the soup whenever you’re ready. Simply heat up the beef broth until it is warmed through before pouring it over the ingredients. 

Recipe Tips and FAQ:

Do you need a meat slicer to thinly slice meat?

No! My tip to getting perfect thinly sliced beef is to freeze the meat for about 1 hour until it is kind of firm but not frozen. This will make it much easier to slice into thin strips. Also, make sure you have a sharp knife!

Is beef noodle soup the same as Pho?

While being similar to Pho, this recipe is not authentic Pho. Authentic Pho requires a few more ingredients and making the beef broth using beef bones. In this recipe you’re seasoning store-bought beef broth.

What are the best noodles for beef noodle soup?

The best noodles are flat rice noodles. They are made with flour and water. They cook very quickly. Sometimes, depending on the brand, you’ll only need to soak them in warm water to soften them.

Looking for more Asian inspired recipes? Try these:

My family’s absolute favorite is Instant Pot Chicken Adobo. This Filipino classic is full of flavor!

Filipino Pancit is a quick and easy dinner, perfect for weeknights!

Salt and Pepper Squid is a Chinese restaurant fave but also easy to make at home!

Need more soup recipes to keep you warm on cold days? Here are our favorites!

Chicken Tortellini Soup is SO easy to make!

Creamy Steak and Mushroom Soup is hearty and full of flavor!

Note: Originally published in 2010. Updated in 2023 with new photos, step by step photos and nutrition information.

Beef Noodle Soup

Beef Noodle Soup with seasoned broth, tender steak, rice noodles, cilantro, sprouts and jalapeños. Full of flavor and great on a cold day!
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 1 hr 15 mins
Total Time 1 hr 30 mins
Course Main Dishes
Cuisine Asian
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 469 kcal

Ingredients
  

Seasoned Beef Broth Ingredients:

  • 10 cups beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 2 Thai chilies
  • 1 teaspoon whole cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick

Beef Noodle Soup Bowl Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 pound top sirloin thinly sliced
  • fresh cracked pepper and kosher salt
  • 8.8 ounces rice noodles
  • 6 ounces bean sprouts
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
  • 2 jalapenos thinly sliced
  • handful cilantro chopped
  • sriracha sauce optional
  • hoisin sauce optional

Instructions
 

  • In a large soup pot combine beef broth, soy sauce, onion, garlic, thai chilies, cloves and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 1 hour.
  • Use a slotted spoon to remove onion, garlic, cloves and cinnamon stick. Keep broth on low heat.
  • Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Season the steak with salt and pepper. Cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
  • Cook rice noodles according to directions. Drain.
  • Divide noodles and steak evenly among large soup bowls. Place a small handful of bean sprouts, thinly sliced onions, a couple slices of jalapeno and cilantro leaves in each bowl. Ladle hot broth over each bowl. Serve with sriracha and hoisin sauce.

Notes

Nutrition information for estimation purposes only. 

Nutrition

Calories: 469kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 37gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 2668mgPotassium: 975mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 303IUVitamin C: 50mgCalcium: 107mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @lifesambrosia or tag #lifesambrosia!
Keywords: asian cusine, asian soup, bean sprouts, beef broth, cilantro, cloves, Food, noodle soup, pho, Recipe, rice noodles

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Recipe Rating




  • Reply
    John
    March 2, 2024 at 12:06 pm

    Love Pho! This is simpler and easier but I bet it will still solve some cravings. My wife will like it too as it doesn’t call for star anise like pho does.

    • Reply
      Deseree
      March 2, 2024 at 8:00 pm

      Hope you enjoy!

  • Reply
    Stephanie
    November 16, 2011 at 3:21 pm

    When do we add the 1/2 of onion that is sliced??

  • Reply
    Kevin
    February 11, 2010 at 3:49 pm

    That soup looks really good. I like the use of the cinnamon.

  • Reply
    tigerfish
    February 3, 2010 at 4:01 pm

    I cannot miss that green chili on your noodles. Here, they pickle the green chili in vinegar and it is so good with a noodle dish like this.

  • Reply
    Jessica
    February 2, 2010 at 10:44 am

    lol, I got here through foodgawker just to comment about the “jalapenos from hell”. I guess I met your jalapenos’ brother, because I, too, love and can handle my spicy food…at least I thought I could until one alcohol-induced night led a group of friends and I to a late night pho place. The boyfriend downed a jalapeno “just to see what it tasted like” and proceeded to interrupt me about five times about how “haaaawt [it] was”.

    Just to shut him up, I grabbed a good sized piece and about thirty seconds later, proceeded to drink almost every glass of water that was on the table, much to our companions’ surprise. lol! Yes, there are jalapenos, then there are jalapenos straight from the depths of hell!

  • Reply
    ravnouscouple
    February 1, 2010 at 10:57 am

    the flavors of this soup still sounds delicious!

  • Reply
    BNDQ8
    February 1, 2010 at 7:31 am

    i love ur recipes..they are so nice!! this looks delicious!! there is so much to eat in this soup…yummm!!!

  • Reply
    Curiouseats - Lissa
    January 31, 2010 at 4:57 pm

    looks delicious! i love Pho!

  • Reply
    Amedy
    January 30, 2010 at 3:35 pm

    I love this recipe I wanna try it

  • Reply
    Jessie
    January 29, 2010 at 1:15 pm

    oh man, that is what I call a busy soup! I need to make this one asap

  • Des

    Hey! I'm Des!

    Welcome to Life’s Ambrosia where Dinner is served and memories are made. Here you will find over 1000 tried and true recipes for every possible occasion. In the last 10 years, this blog has helped millions of families put dinner on the table and create food memories. Let me help you too.

    Read more »

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