Vietnamese · soup

Vietnamese-Style Beef Noodle Soup

Vietnamese-Style Beef Noodle Soup reads umami 7.0, citrus 6.1 and sourness 5.8 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Vietnamese soup, about 50 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 8.2 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 1.9 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 7.8 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 0.7 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 3.6 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.6 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.0 · Citrus 6.1 · Sourness 5.8 · Salinity 5.3 · Funk & Ferment 4.2 · Herbaceous 3.9 · Allium 3.8 · Richness 3.5 · Marine & Briny 2.6 · Warm Spice 2.3 · Sweetness 1.8 · Heat 1.6 · Floral 1.6 · Earthy 0.6 · Bitterness 0.6

What's in it (16)

• 6 ounces dried rice-stick noodles (rice vermicelli)
• 1/4 pound snow peas, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch strips (1 cup)
• 1 cup sliced shallots (3 large)
• 3 (1/8-inch-thick) slices fresh ginger, smashed
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh serrano chile, including seeds, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 1/2 cups beef broth (28 fluid ounces)
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced rare roast beef (from deli counter), torn into pieces
• 6 ounces fresh bean sprouts
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, torn if large
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
• 3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce, or to taste
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Accompaniment: lime wedges

Time & effort: about 50 min (20 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 140.2 kcal, 8.7 g protein, 5 g fat, 15.7 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Cook noodles in a 4-quart pot of boiling water (not salted) 4 minutes, then add snow peas and boil 1 minute.
2. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water to stop cooking.
3. Drain well.
4. Divide noodles and snow peas among 4 large soup bowls.
5. Cook shallots, ginger, and chile in oil in same pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until shallots are browned, 7 to 8 minutes.
6. Add broth and water and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes.
7. While broth is simmering, divide roast beef, bean sprouts, and herbs among soup bowls with noodles.
8. Discard ginger from broth and stir in fish sauce, lime juice, and salt to taste.
9. Ladle broth into bowls and serve immediately.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Thai Sweet Chili Shrimp Skewers — Thai
• Marinated Tuna On Daikon — Japanese
• Crispy Chile-Garlic Chicken Wings — Thai
• Shrimp and Poblano Tacos with Lime Crema — Mexican
• Larb Moo (Pork Larb) — Thai

Keep reading: what umami, citrus, sourness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.