West Lake Beef Soup (西湖牛肉羹)

West Lake Beef Soup, or Xi Hu Niu Rou Geng (西湖牛肉羹), is a classic dish from Shanghai Cuisine. This is a mild and delicate dish, named after the picturesque West Lake in Hangzhou. The dish features tender minced beef, earthy mushrooms, egg ribbons, and a gentle touch of white pepper made into a light soup. It’s thickened slightly with cornstarch, giving it that classic “羹” (gēng) texture—a consistency thicker than broth, with a velvety texture.

Techniques in the recipe

1. Poach the ground beef – You might find it very strange to poach the ground beef first before adding it to the soup. A quick poaching helps the beef achieve a very tender texture and it gets rid of the blood, for a clear soup. The flavor is less developed than browning the beef would give you, but it works well with the rest of the mild ingredients such as tofu and eggs. 
2. Egg white ribbons – Different from egg drop soup, West Lake beef soup uses only the egg whites to create thin strands of egg ribbons. Again, the goal is to create a very delicate soup with ingredients that do not stand out too much.  
3. A mild soup base – When I recreated the dish at home, I used chicken broth instead of chicken bouillon and water, which are more commonly used in West Lake Soup. That’s why my soup ended up with a darker color, while the traditional dish has a much paler color. This is the only thing I did differently from the common approach, in terms of the soup base.

West Lake soup ingredients

• White or brown mushrooms: They are diced to add texture and a mild flavor to the soup.
• Chicken broth
• Marinated ground beef: The beef is marinated in Shaoxing wine and salt for flavor, and we’ll use cornstarch to create a tender texture.
• Soft tofu: Soft tofu creates the best texture, but you can use medium or firm if you prefer.
• Ginger slices
• Egg white: Save the yolk to make golden fried rice, or top it on a Korean stew. 
• Cornstarch
• White pepper: Adds brightness to the soup and brings out the flavor of the ingredients.

How to make West Lake beef soup

1. Very quickly blanch the beef in hot water, break it apart, then drain it. The beef should be just cooked through, or even still a little pink inside. This results in a more tender texture. 

2. Cook the mushroom, tofu and ginger in the chicken stock very briefly for the soup base. Then use a cornstarch slurry to thicken the soup.

3. To make the egg ribbons, make sure you beat the egg whites thoroughly to break up any large pieces. Then remove and discard the foam from the top. Very slowly drizzle the egg into the thickened soup, then break the eggs apart to create ribbons. 

4. Then add back the cooked beef, salt, white pepper, and scallion to finish up the soup.

That’s it! The soup is super fast to make. Though quite mild, it’s extremely heart-warming and comforting. It’s the type of soup that you’ll want to have on a rainy spring day, or when you’re feeling under the weather. It is also a great dish to add to your dinner, to balance out heavier dishes and clean your palate. 

Afterthoughts

Just like a quiet walk along Hangzhou’s West Lake, this soup is about appreciating the little things—the softness of the tofu, the earthiness of mushrooms, the warmth of the broth. West Lake Beef Soup may not be the flashiest dish, but it’s a testament to how thoughtful flavors and simple techniques can create something truly elegant.

Whether you’re exploring Chinese soups or looking for something light and nourishing, give this one a try. And leave a comment below to let me know what you think!

Other hearty soup recipes

• Wonton Noodle Soup (广式云吞面)
• Pork and Corn Soup (猪肉玉米汤)
• Pork Liver Soup with Spinach (猪肝菠菜汤)
• Spinach Egg Drop Soup
• Napa Cabbage Tofu Soup (白菜豆腐汤)

West Lake Beef Soup (西湖牛肉羹)

By Maggie Zhu

5 from 1 vote

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

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West Lake beef soup is a delicate and heart-warming dish that features tender beef, mushrooms, and tofu pieces made into a chicken broth based egg drop soup.

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

Marinating

• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Soup

• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 slices ginger
• 1/4 block soft tofu , diced
• 4 oz white or brown mushrooms , diced
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 3 egg whites , beaten thoroughly
• 1 scallion , thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

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Instructions

• Combine the ground beef, 1/2 teaspoon salt, Shaoxing wine and 1 teaspoon cornstarch in a small bowl. Mix well and marinate while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
• Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the ground beef and turn to lowest heat. Break apart the beef as much as you can, until the beef has just turned a pale color, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain the beef and discard the boiling water. Break apart any large beef pieces as needed.
• Heat the chicken broth and ginger in a medium pot over high heat until bringing to a boil. Add the mushroom and tofu. Simmer for 3 minutes, until the mushrooms are cooked.
• Combine the 1/4 cup of cornstarch with 1/4 cup water in a small bowl, stir to dissolve completely. Pour the slurry into the pot. Stir immediately to mix well to thicken the soup.
• Turn to low heat. Slowly pour in the egg white so it goes into the pot in a very thin stream. Once you’ve added all the egg whites, stir gently to break apart the eggs into thin ribbons. Add the cooked beef into the soup and stir to mix well. Turn off the heat. Add the scallion, salt and white pepper. Stir to mix well. Serve hot.

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Notes

1. To make this dish gluten-free: use dry sherry instead of Shaoxing wine.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 264kcal, Carbohydrates: 13.9g, Protein: 33.3g, Fat: 7.3g, Saturated Fat: 2.3g, Cholesterol: 57mg, Sodium: 1532mg, Potassium: 979mg, Fiber: 0.7g, Sugar: 3.4g, Calcium: 68mg, Iron: 14mg

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