Hearty Beef Ramen Noodle Soup

We are truly soup lovers – and I make a homemade soup two or three times a week, year round.  A quick ramen noodle soup is a favorite -  with an easy to make  homemade  Asian flavored stock. Rob especially likes spicy foods, so this chunky soup has a spicy broth that’s enhanced by fresh ginger and lots of garlic. Soup for dinner – Hurray….and I get to have the leftovers for breakfast!

Homemade Asian Beef Broth: 

• 2 cups beef stock
• 2 cups water
• 2 large dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1 large piece of fresh ginger knob, peeled and sliced (about 1/8 cup)
• 4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed slightly
• 6 small chili peppers, whole (optional)
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce

Combine all ingredients in a wok or large soup kettle and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the cooked shiitake mushrooms, cool and slice,  removing the  tough stems and center.  I like to use these dried shiitake mushrooms that I find in the local Asian specialty food  store – they are large, meaty, and add a lot of flavor to soups. You can of course use another type of dried mushroom or sliced fresh mushrooms. 

After taking out the mushrooms, remove the large chunks of garlic, ginger and chilis. Cool,  chop and set aside for garnishing the soup.  

While the stock is simmering away, cook the Ramen noodles (about 3 ounces, dried). If the large sheets of dried ramen noodles, as pictured here, aren’t available in your area you can easily use spaghetti instead. Thick ramen noodles like this take about seven minutes to cook in boiling water – just stir around with a spoon while cooking and all the noodles will separate. Drain, rinse and set aside.

 While the stock and noodles are cooking, prepare the additional ingredients for the soup. I change the mix every time I make this, often reflecting what I have for leftovers, but this combination is a favorite:

Favorite Ingredients for Beef Ramen Soup:

• 1/2 cup Sliced Nappa cabbage
• 6 spears asparagus, cut into bite sized pieces
• 3 ounces pressed fresh tofu, sliced
• 2 large carrots, sliced
• 3 scallions, sliced
• 1/4 cup sliced mushroom
• 2 to 3 ounces thinly sliced lean beef, either raw or cooked rare

Add all the vegetables, except 1/2 the chopped scallions, to the cooked broth. Simmer for 10 minutes, until carrots are tender. Add the beef, the remaining chopped scallions, combine and continue to simmer for a few minutes.  Add the reserved cooked noodles, heat through, taste, and adjust for salt and pepper -  you can increase the salt with either soy sauce or regular salt, depending on how much of the soy sauce flavor you like.

Put the soup in bowls and serve with the cooked and chopped garlic, ginger and hot chili peppers so everyone can adjust the spiciness and flavor to their own liking!