Chewy thin rice noodles with a nutty tender satay beef with a simple broth. This Satay Beef Noodle Soup is made from scratch and it's absolutely delicious and comforting! Great for the family and it's restaurant quality!
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Satay Beef Noodle Soup is a classic Hong-Kong style café noodle dish that I absolutely adore! It features tender, nutty, savory beef over bouncy rice noodles in a simple seasoned stock.
These Asian noodles are often served as a main dish for brunch or lunch at your local HK-style cafés (aka "cha-chang-tengs" in Cantonese). These soup noodles also works well for dinner and it's super comforting to eat on a cold winter day!
HK cafés are known to serve Western dishes with a Chinese flare as Hong Kong was once colonized by Britain. So these cafés will serve classic dishes like: Baked Pork Chop on Rice, French Toast, or Fish Filet on Cream Sauce Pasta.
Each time I visit one of these cafés, this dish is my favorite thing to order! It's so satisfying and scrumptious that I had to recreate this dish at home. I adapted this recipe from my Chinese Style Satay Beef where the satay sauce is made from scratch.
But if you're short on time, you can easily substitute the satay sauce with store-bought Chinese satay sauce that is sold at many Asian markets.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Vermicelli Rice Noodles: make sure to get the very thin kind that comes dried for best texture. Or substitute with thin flat rice noodles that are used for Pho or wide flat rice noodles if you prefer that texture.
- Flank Steak: is the best cut of beef for this type of dish as it has little muscle fibers making for a tender cut. Or substitute with sirloin tip steak, tri-tip steak, hanger steak, top round steak.
- Chicken broth or beef broth: low-sodium ideally.
- Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce. If you’re gluten-free, substitute with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce.
- Oyster sauce: or substitute with vegetarian stir fry sauce if you don't like oysters. If you're gluten-free: substitute with a gluten-free version.
- Sesame oil: for that nutty flavor. If you're allergic, please omit.
- Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil that has a low smoke point.
Beef Marinade
- Baking soda: the key ingredient to velvet the meat making it super tender as it raises the acidity preventing protein bonds. Do not skip this! Don't worry you won't taste it as we're using a small amount.
- Regular Soy Sauce
- Cornstarch: to tenderize and velvet the meat to make it juicy and tender. The starch helps to lock in the moisture from the oil and is commonly used in Chinese cooking. Or substitute with potato starch.
- Garlic powder: or substitute with more finely minced garlic.
- Fresh Garlic
- Cold water
Satay Sauce
- Smooth Peanut Butter: or as a last resort, substitute with chunky peanut butter but make sure to blend it smoothly in the blender or food processor.
- Ginger powder: or substitute with ¼ teaspoon fresh ginger.
- Fresh Lemongrass: only use the white part and not the green stems or the harder parts.
- Sesame oil: for that nutty flavor. If you're allergic, please omit.
- Brown Sugar: light or dark brown sugar will both work!
- Shallot: or substitute with ¼ cup onion.
- Regular soy sauce
- Fresh Garlic: or substitute with 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
- Red Chili: avoid using bird's eye chili as these are too spicy unless you prefer it extra spicy. Or substitute with ½ teaspoon red chili flakes.
Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients or check Amazon.
Expert Tips
- Thinly slice the beef steak on a bias for the most tender cut!
- To thinly slice beef, freeze it fully exposed to the freezer air until the exterior has hardened a bit and slice with a sharp knife.
- Use a high-power blender or food processor to blend your satay sauce into a smooth texture. If you don't have one, finely mince the lemongrass, shallots and garlic with a sharp knife before combining with the other satay sauce ingredients.
- Use a non-stick pan or a well-seasoned wok for easy clean up and so that the satay sauce doesn't burn.
- Do not fully cook the beef before adding the satay sauce, only cook it until 75% cooked and then add the sauce otherwise the beef will become overcooked at the end.
- Don't overcook the noodles! They cook very quickly, so 2-3 minutes is usually enough.
- Rinse the boiled noodles under cold water to keep them chewy and springy.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make satay beef noodle soup:
- Slice flank steak against the grain on a 45-degree angle into ¼-inch thin strips. Transfer beef strips to a large bowl. Tip: to thinly cut the beef easily, freeze the flank steak for 20-30 minutes fully exposed to the cold air and cut with a sharp knife.
- Add beef marinade ingredients into the same bowl with the beef strips. Mix with tongs or clean hands and then pack the beef into a ball so that the marinade can absorb into the meat. Set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.
- Into a high power blender or food processor, combine satay sauce ingredients as listed and blend on high until very smooth. If you don't own a blender, finely mince the lemongrass, garlic and shallots and combine with other satay sauce ingredients in a bowl.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-heat and fry marinated beef. Fry until the edges are brown and the meat is 75% cooked, about 5 minutes.
- Then add in satay sauce and toss beef in it. Cook for 1-2 minutes until beef is cooked through and no longer red. Remove and set aside.
- In a large pot filled with enough water, bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Boil rice vermicelli noodles until al-dente, about 2-3 minutes. Strain immediately. Rinse cooked noodles with cold running water and strain again. Divide your noodles into 5 bowls.
- Divide cooked satay beef and place on top of cooked noodles.
- In a large pot, combine chicken broth, oyster sauce, regular soy sauce and sesame oil. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Once it comes to a boil, divide and pour the soup over the noodles and enjoy hot!
Storage
- Satay beef noodle soup is best consumed immediately as the noodles will go soggy in the soup overtime.
- Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I recommend storing the different components in separate containers so the noodles don't go soggy. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat components in the soup in a pot on the stovetop.
- Freezer friendly? I don't recommend freezing this dish as the noodles will become soggy.
Pairing Suggestions
Satay Beef Noodle Soup serves well with:
- cooked vegetables like bok choy, spicy garlic bok choy, choy sum, gai lan, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.
FAQ
Can I make satay beef noodle soup in advance?
Yes, the noodles, beef and soup base can be made in advance and stored into separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. To enjoy, reheat everything together in the microwave in a heatproof bowl or in a pot on the stovetop on medium heat.
Can I substitute for another protein?
Yes, feel free to substitute the beef with chicken thighs, pork shoulder or extra-firm tofu but skip the marinade for the tofu.
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📖 Recipe
HK Style Satay Beef Noodle Soup
Satay Beef Noodle Soup. Chewy rice noodles with tender satay beef swimming in a simple broth. These homemade soup noodles are so delicious and hit the spot!
Ingredients
- 17 oz rice vermicelli thin kind
- 1.10 lbs flank steak or see Blog post for substitutes
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
Soup Base
- 7 ½ cups chicken broth low sodium kind, or use beef broth
- 2 ½ tablespoon regular soy sauce
- 5 ½ tablespoon oyster sauce or sub with vegetarian stir fry sauce
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
Beef marinade
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda do not skip!
- 4 teaspoon regular soy sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoon cornstarch or potato starch
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 teaspoon water cold
Satay Sauce
- 3 tablespoon peanut butter smooth kind ideally
- 2 tablespoon lemongrass only use the white parts and cut off hard green stems
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar light or dark both work!
- 3 tablespoon regular soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 shallot or ¼ cup onion
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon red chili pepper or ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
Instructions
- Slice flank steak against the grain on a 45-degree angle into ¼-inch thin strips. Transfer beef strips to a large bowl. Tip: to thinly cut the beef easily, freeze the flank steak for 20-30 minutes fully exposed to the cold air and cut with a sharp knife.
- Add beef marinade ingredients into the same bowl with the beef strips. Mix with tongs or clean hands and then pack the beef into a ball so that the marinade can absorb into the meat. Set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.
- Into a high power blender or food processor, combine satay sauce ingredients as listed and blend on high until very smooth. If you don't own a blender, finely mince the lemongrass, red chili, garlic and shallots and combine with other satay sauce ingredients in a bowl.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-heat and fry marinated beef. Fry until the edges are brown and the meat is 75% cooked, about 5 minutes.
- Then add in satay sauce and toss beef in it. Cook for 1-2 minutes until beef is cooked through and no longer red. Remove and set aside.
- In a large pot filled with enough water, bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Boil rice vermicelli noodles until al-dente, about 2-3 minutes. Strain immediately. Rinse cooked noodles with cold running water and strain again. Divide your noodles into 5 bowls.
- Divide cooked satay beef and place on top of cooked noodles.
- In a large pot, combine chicken broth, oyster sauce, regular soy sauce and sesame oil. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Once it comes to a boil, divide and pour the soup over the noodles and enjoy hot!
Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!
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Nutrition
Calories: 667kcal | Carbohydrates: 100g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 3543mg | Potassium: 836mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 17IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 4mg
Lori
Fabulous
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and for the positive review!
Amanda
Made it. Amazing. Will definitely make again!
christieathome
So thrilled to read this! Thank you so much for making my recipe and for leaving such a kind comment, Amanda!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
I love how your marinade perfectly compliments the steak and really allows it to shine in this dish. YUM!
Caleb - Never Ending Journeys
This beef noodle soup looks so irresistible. I could really go for a bowl right now!