Go Back
–+ servings
West lake beef soup with cilantro in a white soup bowl.
Print Recipe
4.62 from 13 votes

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.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: West Lake Beef Soup
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 161kcal
Author: Bee Yinn Low

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 coarsely chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)

Instructions

  • 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.
  • Mix cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl; stir well and set aside.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Dish out and serve immediately.

Video

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 161kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.3g | Protein: 18.6g | Fat: 6.4g | Saturated Fat: 2.1g | Cholesterol: 131mg | Sodium: 656mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.5g