Thai Beef Noodle Soup

Thai Beef Noodle Soup gets a kick from jalapenos and is studded with garlic, basil, Asian flavors, and a wedge of lime. 

Brrrrrr!  It's been so chilly here lately!  I am so not a winter person.  Have I said that before?  I am cold from September through May with winter being the worst for me.  To warm up in the winter I often have crock-pot meals or soup for dinner.

I rotate my favorite soups often during the winter.  We tend to have soup about once a week because we have it for dinner and then we'll both eat it for lunch the next day or two.

My husband loves my French Onion Soup, while I enjoy Broccoli Cheddar Soup or Potato Leek Soup.  While I love our rotation of soups, I'm always up for something new.  So when I saw a Beef Noodle Soup that had Thai flavors in it and looked so pretty I knew I had to try it!

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• sirloin steak
• beef broth
• water
• hoisin sauce
• soy sauce
• vinegar
• lime juice
• sugar
• garlic cloves
• ginger
• Soba Noodles
• baby bok choy
• Sriracha
• basil leaves
• jalapeno pepper slices
• lime wedges

1.  Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat.  Add the beef and stir fry for 3-4 minutes. 

2.  Add the beef broth, water, hoisin, soy sauce, vinegar, lime juice, sugar, garlic, and ginger to the stock pot.  Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.

3.  Reduce heat to a simmer and add the noodles.  Cook for 10 minutes. 

4.  Stir in the bok choy and Sriracha.  Cook until the bok choy wilts.

Now I first made this soup in 2015 and didn't make it again for several years.  When I did make it again it didn't taste the same so I ended up making several adjustments to the spices and broth of the soup.

The broth is a beef base with large pieces of beef in the soup.  I adjusted it to make it have a more Thai flavor by including sugar, vinegar, and lime juice. 

There are also noodles, basil, jalapenos, and lime with a drizzle of Sriracha.  The soup bursts with citrus and spice and I loved every bite of it!

I can't find baby bok choy, can I use something else?

You sure can.  This actually happened to me during my most recent attempt at making this soup and I ended up adding 3 cups of fresh baby spinach instead and liked it just as well.

I can't find soba noodle, can I use something else?

You can certainly use other noodles.  I've found that Udon noodles work well in this recipe as well.  If you are looking for a noodle you might already have on hand you could use linguini or thick spaghetti though it won't have the same flavor.

I don't like spicy food, do I have to add the Sriracha?

I'd recommend you add at least a touch of Sriracha because it really helps give it that Thai flavor.  You could also use a little bit of hot sauce in place of it or even chili paste.

I'm a vegetarian, can I just leave out the beef?

You can certainly leave out the beef but I'd substitute something else in.  You can use either firm tofu or a vegetarian "beef" crumble.   Then use vegetable broth in place of the beef broth.

I've made this soup several times and I can honestly say I make it a little different every time.  Just go with what you like and adjust the lime juice, soy sauce, vinegar, and Sriracha amounts as needed.

I didn't end up using jalapenos the last time because the soup was already fairly spicy from the Sriracha.  Another time I used spinach in place of the bok choy.  You can make any substitutions needed.

More Thai Recipes:

• Thai Iced Tea
• Thai Chicken Salad
• Thai Chicken with Rice
• Thai Meatball Lettuce Wraps
• Grilled Thai Beef Tacos