Lanzhou Beef Noodle Soup (兰州拉面)

First things first, for anyone who is not familiar with the recipe, Lanzhou beef noodle soup or Lanzhou La Mian (兰州拉面), is a popular Chinese noodle dish that originated in Lanzhou, the capital city of Gansu province in northwestern China. This soup is known for its simplicity, but I would say it relies on simmering and careful seasoning to highlight its natural flavor.

I want to point out that one of the defining features of Lanzhou beef noodle soup is the hand pulled noodles. They are usually made fresh by a chef, who stretches and folds the dough until it becomes long, thin, and even strands. Watching this in a Lanzhou style shop is an experience worth seeking out when you travel in China. Or you can simply learn to make my easy hand-pulled noodles from scratch, and I always recommend it for this soup.

Now let us talk about the broth. My homemade broth uses beef and beef bones simmered with spices and aromatics for hours until it becomes deeply savory and hearty. Then comes the fun part, the assembly, which is surprisingly simple. I serve the noodles in the clear broth and add tender pieces of beef, radish, cilantro, and a spoon of my homemade chili oil. My recipe makes about 8 servings, yet if you have a small family like mine, it stores well and is great to enjoy later.

Ingredients

These are the ingredients I use to make this Lanzhou beef noodle soup. I also share a few substitutions I have tested that work well for this recipe.

Beef and bones for the broth

For the beef, my first choice is untrimmed flank steak. In Chinese it is called Niu Nan (牛腩) and the cut is quite different from what you usually see in regular grocery stores in the United States, so I usually pick it up at a Chinese market. It has more fat and membranes, and I love how they melt during cooking and keep the beef tender and juicy. If you cannot find this cut, brisket, round roast, or chuck also work very well.

When it comes to the bones, I usually choose beef shin ones for this soup. Neck bones are a good alternative if that is what you can get.

Aromatic Spice Soup Base

Aromatics: I use ginger, garlic, and scallion to build the foundation of the broth.

Spices: I add chili pepper, bay leaves, fennel seeds, nutmeg, cinnamon, star anise, whole cloves, and Sichuan peppercorns. This mix gives the broth its depth and the warm fragrance that Lanzhou noodles are known for.

Salt and daikon radish: I season the broth with salt and simmer daikon radish until it turns tender. The radish adds a mild sweetness that balances the beef and spices.

Key ingredient: hand-pulled noodles

As I mentioned earlier, the closest way to enjoy an authentic bowl is to make your own hand pulled noodles. I have a hand pulled noodle recipe that you can follow at home. It takes some time and patience, but it is very doable when you follow my steps, and the results are always worth it.

When I am not making noodles from scratch, I look for Lanzhou fresh noodles by Havista at my local Asian market. These semi dried noodles turn nicely chewy once boiled, and they work great in this soup. If you can’t find them, dried wheat noodles are a great option, and a spaghetti style shape comes closest to the traditional look.

How to make

1. Start the broth: Add the beef bones and meat to a large pot and cover them with 8 cups of cold water. Heat the pot over medium high until it comes to a boil, stirring a few times to keep the meat from sticking. Once the water reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium.

2. Skim the broth: Skim off the brown foam from the surface and discard it. Continue skimming until the broth looks almost clear, which usually takes me about 10 minutes.

3. Add spices and aromatics: Transfer the beef, bones, and broth into an Instant Pot, then add the spices and aromatics.

4. Pressure cook the broth: Cook on high pressure for 1 hour, until the beef turns tender and the broth becomes rich.

5. Remove the solids: Transfer the beef pieces onto a plate, then discard the bones and the spices.

6. Cook the radishes: Add the radishes to the broth and simmer for around 10 minutes until they turn tender.

7. Cook and assemble the noodles: Boil the noodles according to the package instructions, then divide them among the bowls. Pour the hot broth over the noodles and add a few pieces of beef, daikon radish, cilantro, and green onion. Serve with chili oil and salt on the side for a warm and satisfying meal my family really enjoys.

Serve and customize

I usually serve Lanzhou beef noodle soup the same way I enjoyed it in China, as a simple stand alone main dish. The clear broth, tender beef, and hand pulled noodles make a complete and comforting meal on their own, and I often pair it with a light cucumber salad or a small wood ear mushroom salad on the side.

If you want to make the meal your own, there are plenty of easy ways to customize it. You can adjust the spices, add more chili oil, or top with vegetables you love, such as yu choy or bok choy. And if you want to keep things simple, I recommend adding a few small classic plates like Chinese chicken dumplings, or a batch of homemade egg rolls. They are easy warm ups for guests or family members who are just being introduced to this soup and help ease everyone into the meal.

Frequently asked questions

Lanzhou Beef Noodle Soup (兰州拉面)

By Maggie Zhu

4.87 from 15 votes

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Inactive cooking time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 3 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 to 8 servings

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Anytime I crave a comforting and authentic meal, I make this Lanzhou beef noodle soup (兰州拉面). I use my homemade hand pulled noodles, a mix of aromatics and spices, beef bones, and tender beef to create a rich and flavorful bowl. With my clear instructions you can easily make this traditional soup at home.

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• 2 to 3 lb beef shin bones (*see footnote 1)
• 2 lb untrimmed beef flank , or brisket, or round roast (*see footnote 2), cut into 3” (7 cm) pieces
• 2 Chinese scallions or 4 green onions, white part, cut to 4” (10 cm) pieces
• 1 thumb ginger , sliced
• 5 cloves garlic
• 5 Chinese dried chili peppers
• 5 whole cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon whole Sichuan peppercorn
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1 whole nutmeg
• 1 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
• 1 small daikon radish , peeled and sliced to 1/2” (5 mm) quarters
• 1.3 to 2 lbs fresh Lanzhou noodles (or 1 to 1.3 lb / 400 to 600 g dried wheat noodles)

Serving

• Homemade Chinese chili oil (for serving)
• Extra salt (for serving)
• Cilantro , chopped (for garnish)
• Green onion , sliced (for garnish)

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Instructions

To cook the broth

• Add the beef bones and meat into a large pot. Add 8 cups of cold water. Heat over medium-high heat until brought to a boil. Stir occasionally to prevent the bottom from sticking. When it starts to boil, turn to medium heat. Skim the brown foam from the top and discard it. Boil and skim until the broth turns almost clear, 10 minutes or so.
• Transfer the meat and bones into the Instant Pot, and pour in all the broth. You can keep cooking on the stovetop if not using an Instant Pot. (*Footnote 3)
• (Optional) Add the cloves, Sichuan peppercorn and star anise into a tea infuser. Submerge the tea infuser in the broth.
• Add the scallion, ginger, garlic, dried chili pepper, bay leaves, fennel seed, nutmeg, cinnamon stick into the Instant Pot. Set the pressure on high, timer for 1 hour. Once done, let pressure release naturally. If you want to use fast release, do a natural release for at least 20 minutes first, to prevent it from spilling.
• Once done, remove and discard the spices, aromatics, and beef bones using a pair of tongs. You can also strain the broth if that is easier. But you need to pick out the meat separately.
• You might find a thick layer of oil floating on top of the soup (depending on the fattiness of the beef). Use a ladle to skim the oil off according to your preference (*footnote 4).
• Add salt and mix well. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning if needed. The broth should taste a bit salty by itself, so it will be perfect after adding the noodles. You can also adjust the seasoning later, after assembling the bowls.
• Turn on the saute function if using Instant Pot. Add the daikon radish and cook until tender, 10 minutes or so.
• Boil the noodles according to package instructions.

To assemble noodles

• Add noodles to each serving bowl, then pour in the broth. Top noodles with beef, a few pieces of daikon radish, and some cilantro. Serve immediately with chili oil and soy sauce on the side. Enjoy hot as a main dish.

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Notes

1. If the bones are not cut, ask the butcher to cut the beef bones lengthwise into short pieces when purchasing.
2. Using untrimmed cuts will generate a very tender and moist lean part after simmering. You can trim off and discard the fat before serving. Other beef cuts such as brisket, shank, or round roast are also suitable for this recipe.
3. Add 2 cups of water into the pot if you keep cooking on the stovetop. Cover and simmer over low heat for 3 hours, or until the beef turns very tender.
4. I usually skim off as much oil as I can and save it. Some people like to serve the broth with oil on top, but I found it delicious enough without the oil. You can use the oil for stir-frying later and it will help you create very delicious dishes. To store beef fat, allow the oil to cool in a small bowl at room temperature, then transfer it to an air-tight container. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 429kcal, Carbohydrates: 51.5g, Protein: 35.1g, Fat: 9.1g, Saturated Fat: 2.9g, Cholesterol: 47mg, Sodium: 953mg, Potassium: 577mg, Fiber: 4.6g, Sugar: 7.3g, Calcium: 13mg, Iron: 4mg

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