This is what I usually have for lunch nearly every day, as I have the priviledge of working from home these days. It gives me the warmth of soup, the ease of noodles, greens I sorely lack otherwise and… meat.

Here’s one I made earlier with tat soi – it’s the stem base in the middle

Beef Noodle Soup with Tat Soi

The chili part is optional.

The reasoning on the meat is to use a meat that has a strong flavour of its own. Chicken doesn’t really cut it.

Likewise, if you do a vegetarian variation, look for something with a stronger taste to take the meat’s place. Beans and veg stock may not work quite so well, perhaps mushrooms (I eat neither beans nor mushrooms, so I can’t say…)

Time

• Preparation: 5min
• Cooking: 5-10min

Ingredients

• 1/2 tsp ginger powder (or 1 tsp chopped ginger)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder (or 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 1 tsp chili powder (or chili oil. optional)
• some chopped coriander
• 1 Tbsp of sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1/4 beef stock cube (variation: use lamb or ham cube)
• 1 or 1/2 frying steak (variation: lamb [legjoint cut or steak] or gammon)
• 1 bundle of noodles (enough for one person)
• 2 spring onions
• 1 head of pak choi (variation: tat soi, or cavolo nero; all are fairly mild-tasting cabbage-type produce. I personally dislike normal cabbage)
• 40-50 cL boiling water (approx 1 cup)

Utensils

1 small pot, 1 frying pan, 1 chopping knife, 1 chopping board

Method

1. Add spices, oil, soy and crumbled stock cube to cold pot
2. Chop up the vegetables coarsley, add to pot
3. Break up the noodles a bit (or not, as you wish) and add to pot
4. Add boiling water to pot and turn on the heat. Water should be just enough to cover a half-inch over the ingredients, though remember that the noodles will absorb some of that. Simmer.
5. Whilst this is simmering, start frying the meat. If beef or lamb, you could try doing it rare – if you dare
6. Once meat is cooked to liking, transfer to chopping board to rest it a couple of minutes
7. Once noodle soup is done, transfer to bowl
8. Slice meat into small/bite-size strips, and layer on top of noodle soup in bowl