Lanzhou Beef Noodle Soup

Name: Lanzhou Beef Noodle Soup
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 5 h
Total time: 5 h 30 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 4 lbs beef or pork soup bones; 2 1/4 lbs 1 kg beef shank; ½ of a whole roasting chicken ((or a leftover roasted chicken carcass)); 10 cups water; 4 cups about 1 liter chicken stock; Spice mix ((see recipe below)); Salt ((to taste; I added about a tablespoon)); 1/2 of a small Chinese radish ((quartered and thinly sliced)); 1 pound fresh or dried white noodles; Hot chili oil ((to taste, see recipe below)); scallion ((chopped)); cilantro ((chopped)); 7 star anise; 12 cloves; 1 cinnamon stick; 5 bay leaves; 6 large slices of sand ginger; 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds; 1 teaspoon cumin seeds; 2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns; 1 1/2 teaspoons white peppercorns; 5 licorice root slices ((optional but very much recommended)); 3 pieces dried orange peel; 1 black cardamom; 3/4 cup oil; 2 star anise; 1/2 of a small cinnamon stick; ½ teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns; 3 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes ((just the regular kind you'd sprinkle on your pizza)); 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Prep:30minCook:5h

Consisting of a flavorful broth, shaved beef, tender radishes, herbs, chili oil, and chewy noodles, Lanzhou Beef Noodle Soup (兰州拉面, lanzhou lamian) has the majority vote for favorite bowl of noodles among 1.4 billion very culinarily-conscious citizens.

Updated at: Thu, 25 Dec 2025 15:53:41 GMT