Thai beef soup with noodles – Kuay Tiaw Nua Puai

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 500 g meat, tender beef
• 500 g beef, breast or oxtail
• 2 ½ liters of water, cold
• 1 large onion(s), unpeeled, halved
• 2 tbsp soy sauce, dark
• 4 tbsp fish sauce
• 4 tbsp soy sauce, light
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp black pepper, whole
• 1 tsp sugar
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 12 cm cinnamon, whole
• 3 pieces of anise (star anise), whole
• 6 coriander roots, cleaned and chopped
• 2 m.-sized carrot(s), in large pieces
• ¼ piece(s) celeriac, cleaned, roughly diced
• 5 cm galangal, thinly sliced
• 250 g rice noodles, soaked in cold water for 20 minutes
• 250 g soy sprouts, blanched for 1 minute
• 3 stalks coriander, roughly chopped, with stems
• 5 spring onions, cut into 3 cm long julienne strips
• Oil, garlic oil
• Vinegar (chili vinegar)

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

an aromatic, warming soup, especially in winter

Bring the soup meat to a boil with the spices and vegetables, add the tender cooked meat, and simmer for about 1.5-2 hours, until tender. Allow the meat to cool in the broth, then trim the fat and tendons and cut the meat into thin slices or small cubes. Set aside. Drain the broth and pour it through a fine sieve. You can prepare the soup up to this point the day before. Reheat. Cook the noodles in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, or according to the package instructions. For the garlic oil, fry 2 tablespoons of garlic in 6 tablespoons of oil until golden brown, then drain the oil into a small bowl. For the chili vinegar, mix chopped red chili with rice or coconut vinegar. To serve, place some noodles and sprouts in large soup bowls, add the broth and some finely chopped tender cooked meat. Top with garlic oil, coriander, spring onion, and chili vinegar, to taste. As a variation, you can also cook carrot slices, celery sticks, and Chinese cabbage strips in the broth until al dente. Chinese egg noodles also work very well. For a party or buffet, it’s recommended to mix the noodles, toppings, and garnishes together in the soup pot. This eliminates the need to blanch the bean sprouts.