Dinner in a bowl – beef noodle soup

Noodle soups are delicious. They can also be a complete meal. This one has never failed on me – it has all the components of a balanced meal – good quality protein, plenty of vegetables, a bit of carbohydrate for energy and plenty of taste.

It’s the kind of soup that satisfies, and tastes equally good warmed up for lunch the next day. Have a go!

Beef Noodle Soup

You’ll need:

• 400g sliced beef (supermarkets often sell it now, or you can cut some sirloin steak)
• 200g spinach (fresh or frozen)
• 2 medium carrots, sliced into matchsticks
• 1 bunch of spring onions, thinly sliced
• 15g dried shiitake mushrooms
• 50g dried egg noodles
• 1 heaped tsp minced ginger
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 150 ml boiling water
• 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 4 tbsp sherry or equivalent
• 5 cups beef stock
• salt and pepper
• vegetable oil

Method:

Soak the mushrooms in the boiling water to rehydrate them, then slice thinly, reserving the water.

Heat the oil and brown the beef, then remove from the pan.

Add a little more oil, then stir fry the ginger, garlic, carrots and spring onions for a few minutes. Add the beef stock, mushroom water, beef and mushrooms and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the noodles and spinach and cook for a few minutes, until the noodles are tender. Serve immediately.