West Lake Beef Soup Recipe
West lake beef soup, or xi hu niu rou geng is a traditional soup from Hangzhou, China. It’s a thick, egg drop soup made with marinated ground beef and chicken broth, with chopped coriander leaves to complete the dish.
Adding coriander leaves towards the end of the cooking process will help jazz up the flavor with a refreshing and citrusy aroma.
Why This Recipe Works?
This recipe takes less than 20 minutes from prep to finish and you’ll have an utterly delicious soup that rivals the local Chinese restaurants.
The soup requires only a few simple ingredients that everyone will have in their kitchen pantry. It’s affordable and the total cost is a fraction of the restaurant’s price.
It’s also a warm and cozy soup that is great on cold days but so delicious you’ll make it year round.
Recipe Ingredients
My recipe is quick and easy to prepare:
- Ground beef
- Chicken broth
- Water
- Eggs
- Coriander leaves (cilantro)
You may use either ground beef or finely minced beef for this recipe.
To make a light and savory west lake beef soup, use either homemade chicken stock or store-bought low sodium chicken broth for the best taste.
How To Make West Lake Beef Soup?
This homemade west lake beef soup is quick to prepare and tastes authentic.
First, marinate the ground beef for 10 minutes with Chinese rice wine or sherry and sesame oil. Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl until smooth.
Secondly, bring chicken broth and 1 1/3 cups of water to a boil in a soup pot. Lower the heat to medium and add ground beef to the soup. Skim off the foam on the surface as the beef cooks.
Next, season the soup with salt and white pepper, then add the cornstarch mixture to thicken the soup. Turn off the heat. Swirl the beaten eggs into the soup and immediately stir a few times, then cover the pot with a lid and let the remaining heat cook the eggs.
Finally, add coriander leaves and stir to blend well. Dish out and serve immediately.
Cook’s Tips
- Thicken the soup with a mixture of cornstarch and water to create a silky and smooth texture. However, do not add too much cornstarch.
- Break the marinated ground beef into small pieces and cook it in the boiling chicken broth. Skim off the foam on the surface to remove the odd taste from the beef.
- Turn off the heat and cook the beaten egg with the remaining heat in the pot with the lid covered. Stir the beaten egg with chopsticks to form the silken threads.
- Add more chopped coriander leaves on top of the soup before serving which helps to add more fragrance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this light yet flavorful beef soup is surely healthy and nutritional. Beef and eggs are both rich in protein and contain amino acids that bring tons of benefits to our bodies. Eating beef is good for blood health and supports immunity and healing.
I recommend serving the soup immediately. The cornstarch will make the soup more watery after refrigerating it. To store the soup properly, add the cornstarch mixture to the soup while reheating it for the best result.
How Many Calories Per Serving?
This recipe has only 161 calories per serving.
West Lake Beef Soup
This hearty West Lake Beef Soup recipe is easy to prepare with pantry ingredients. Dinner and comfort are ready in under 20 minutes. It's simply delicious and tastes much better than restaurant takeouts.
Ingredients
- 6 oz ground beef
- 1/2 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or sherry
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water
- 14 oz store-bought chicken broth
- 1 1/3 cups water
- 3 dashes white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt to taste
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
Directions
-
1
Marinate the ground beef with Chinese rice wine (or sherry) and sesame oil for 10 minutes. Break up the ground beef into small pieces using a fork (or a pair of chopsticks) and stir well while marinating.
-
2
Mix cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl; stir well and set aside.
-
3
Bring chicken broth and 1 1/3 cups of water to a boil in a soup pot. Lower the heat to medium and add ground beef to the soup. Skim off the foam on the surface.
-
4
Add white pepper and salt, and thicken the soup with the cornstarch mixture. Stir the soup with a ladle to smooth the texture and turn off the heat.
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5
Swirl the beaten eggs into the soup and immediately stir it three times with a pair of chopsticks. Cover the pot with its lid for 2 minutes and the egg should be cooked with the remaining heat. Add the coriander leaves into the soup and stir to blend well.
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6Dish out and serve immediately.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Tips:
- Thicken the soup with a mixture of cornstarch and water to create a silky and smooth texture. However, do not add too much cornstarch.
- Break the marinated ground beef into small pieces and cook it in the boiling chicken broth. Skim off the foam on the surface to remove the odd taste from the beef.
- Turn off the heat and cook the beaten egg with the remaining heat in the pot with the lid covered. Stir the beaten egg with chopsticks to form the silken threads.
- Add more chopped coriander leaves on top of the soup before serving which helps to add more fragrance.
1
Great, love it
Best
Hello
Can I add chili in this soup ?
Yes!