Fresh Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup Recipe

Serves 4
Preparation time 15 minutes
Cooking time 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS
500g sirloin, cut into paper-thin slices
200g dried rice noodles
250g bean sprouts
1½ litre beef stock
1 cinnamon stick
3 star anise
1 50g ginger bulb, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sugar
4 shallots, peeled and sliced
2 bunches baby bok choy, roughly chopped
150g Asian-style mushrooms, torn into bite size pieces
1 lemon, quartered to serve
Coriander leaves to serve
Cracked black pepper, to serve

METHOD
1 Place the dried rice noodles into a large bowl, covering them with boiling water. Afterwards, allow them to stand for 20 minutes or until just soft before draining well. (The hot broth will soften them more when it is poured over at the end).
2 To prepare the broth, place the stock into a large pan with two cups water and add the cinnamon, star anise, ginger, fish sauce and sugar. Bring to the boil before reducing heat, simmering uncovered for 20 minutes.
3 Once the broth has been simmering for 20 minutes, strain to discard the spices and then return broth to the pan.
4 Afterwards, put the soup back onto the heat and bring to boil. Add the shallots and thinly sliced beef, mushrooms and bok choy to the broth and simmer for five minutes or until the beef is just cooked.
5 Divide the noodles and majority of the sprouts between four large soup bowls, and top with the boiling soup broth. To serve the dish, finish with some extra bean sprouts, a squeeze of lemon, coriander leaves and cracked black pepper.

Cooking tips
1 For beef that is tender, be sure to slice the meat against the grain. To make it easier try putting the meat in the freezer for 15 minutes before slicing.
2 Flat iron steak or rump medallions are great alternatives to sirloin.

The Carousel thanks Beef & Lamb Australia for this recipe