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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.
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.
Looking for a hearty soup recipe to enjoy with family and friends? Check out my Chinese hot pot recipe.
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.
Looking for more soup recipes? Check out my hot and sour soup recipe!
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.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
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.
Cooking 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.
This recipe has only 174 calories per serving.
What To Serve With West Lake Beef Soup
For an easy and wholesome Chinese meal, I recommend the following recipes:
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Other Recipes You Might Like
West Lake Beef Soup
Ingredients
- 6 oz (175 grams) 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 (425 grams) 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 coriander leaves (cilantro), coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Marinate the ground beef with Chinese rice wine (or sherry) and sesame oil for 10 minutes. While marinating, break up the ground beef into small pieces using a fork (or chopsticks) and stir well.
- Mix the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl, stir well, and set aside.
- Bring the chicken broth and 1 1/3 cups of water to a boil in a soup pot. Lower the heat to medium, then add the ground beef to the soup. Skim off any foam from the surface.
- Add white pepper and salt, then thicken the soup with the cornstarch mixture. Stir the soup with a ladle until smooth, then turn off the heat.
- Swirl the beaten eggs into the soup and immediately stir three times with chopsticks. Cover the pot with the lid for 2 minutes to allow the eggs to cook from the residual heat. Add the coriander leaves to the soup and stir to blend well. Dish out and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
1
Hello
Can I add chili in this soup ?
Yes!
Can I use ground chicken instead?
Yes you can or ground pork.
Great, love it
Best