Beef Noodle Soup with Buchu recipe by Maangchi

Today’s recipe is noodle soup! This comforting bowl is full of nutrients, so it can be a complete one bowl meal.

In Korea, noodle soups are usually served in a clear broth with a light and refreshing taste. Because of this, the most important part of a good noodle soup is the broth. It should taste clean and not greasy. The broth most commonly used for Korean noodle soup is made from anchovy kelp stock. Sometimes people simmer chicken or beef for a long time to make broth. In temple cuisine, anchovies are not used and the stock is made with kelp, radish, mushrooms.

I am a big fan of anchovy kelp stock. I usually make a large batch and keep it in my freezer so I can quickly make noodle soup whenever I want. This stock is made without salt. When I use it for noodle soup, I add salt and turn it into a flavorful broth. I freeze the stock in containers and take some out whenever I need it. When my supply starts running low, I make another batch so I always have some ready.

Another nice thing about making this stock is the leftover ingredients. The radish, kelp, and mushrooms used to make the stock can still become delicious food! The radish may look like it has lost all its flavor, but you can slice it, coat it with a batter made from the stock and flour, and pan fry it in a little oil. The flavor comes back because the batter absorbs the stock again.

Please check the anchovy kelp stock recipe if you would like to make it.

You may notice that this noodle soup recipe includes two simple side dishes. One is thin slices of beef that are seasoned and mixed with a little potato starch, then pan fried in oil. The potato starch gives the beef a shiny look and a tender texture. The other is spicy seasoned buchu. The chives are cut into short pieces and mixed with a savory and spicy seasoning. They are added on top of the noodles like a flavorful topping. This buchu mixture is also delicious as a side dish with rice. Even if you skip the beef and add only the seasoned buchu on top of the noodles, it will still taste wonderful.

I hope you enjoy making this recipe and I look forward to hearing your feedback!

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