This beef and daikon soup is a satisfying one-pot meal that is also very quick to put together, with slurpable glass noodles, fresh green herbs, and a warm white pepper heat. It’s well-balanced and so tasty, and unlike so many soup recipes out there, it’s done in under 30 minutes!
Using Thinly Sliced Beef for Quick Cooking
Many of our soup recipes utilize either a pre-made stock (which simmered for hours), or meaty bones to make stock (which also simmer for hours). This soup uses just water as a base, but quickly builds flavor with thinly sliced flank steak, julienned daikon, ginger, white pepper, salt, and herbs.
When Sarah first tasted it, she couldn’t believe that I’d used water as the soup base, because it had so much flavor in so little time.
That makes this beef and daikon soup one of those quick one-pot dinners that you can whip up on a weekday. It includes carbs (glass noodles), protein, and vegetables, all in one warming bowl.
It’s also a great meal to stretch 8 oz. of beef to feed 4 people, while still being super satisfying!
Think You Don’t Like Daikon? Think Again!
We’ve heard from many readers that they’re not fans of daikon radish—it’s too bitter, too smelly, too spicy.
I recently had a memory come rushing back to me. When I was young and growing up in rural Hubei province, we would peel off the outer skin of the daikon radish, as you normally would. But then, there was another layer underneath that we would sometimes peel away. It would flake off in a very clear layer, and that layer is what contained most of the daikon’s spicy bitterness.
The flesh underneath was always extremely sweet and mild, with no bitter taste or spicy horseradish bite to it at all.
That distinctive flavor of the daikon radish isn’t always one that we’re looking to remove, but it’s almost like eating daikon with training wheels, or just eating the middle of the bread without the crusts.
if you think you’re not a fan of its flavor, try this method and get back to me!
Recipe Instructions
Take the flank steak slices and cut them into narrow strips. Add to a medium bowl, along with the cornstarch, water, light soy sauce, salt, and white pepper. Mix well, then toss in the oil. Marinate for 15 minutes on the counter.
Meanwhile, prepare the ginger, scallion, daikon, and cilantro.
Add oil to a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and scallion, and cook for 1 minute.
Increase the heat to high, and add the daikon. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.
Add the water, salt, white pepper, and oyster sauce. Stir and bring to a boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes, or until the daikon turns translucent. Next, add the noodles and beef, and gently stir to separate the beef pieces. Bring back up to a boil, and skim off any foam floating on top of the soup.
Add the cilantro and salt to taste. Serve this beef daikon soup immediately!
Looking for more authentic recipes? Subscribe to our email list and be sure to follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube!
Recipe
Chinese Beef Daikon Soup
Ingredients
For the beef:
- 8 ounces flank steak (thinly sliced against the grain)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 teaspoons oil
For the rest of the dish:
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 2 scallions (white parts only, chopped)
- 1 pound daikon (julienned)
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (or scallion greens if you’re not a cilantro fan)
- 1 teaspoon neutral oil (such as canola, vegetable, or avocado oil)
- 8 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
- 1 bundle mung bean vermicelli noodles (soaked 10 minutes)
Instructions
- Take the flank steak slices and cut them into narrow strips. Add to a medium bowl, along with the cornstarch, water, light soy sauce, salt, and white pepper. Mix well, then toss in the oil. Marinate for 15 minutes on the counter.
- Meanwhile, prepare the ginger, scallion, daikon, and cilantro.
- Add oil to a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and scallion, and cook for 1 minute. Increase the heat to high, and add the daikon. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the water, salt, white pepper, and oyster sauce. Stir and bring to a boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes, or until the daikon turns translucent.
- Now add the glass noodles and beef, gently stirring to separate the beef pieces. Bring back up to a boil, and skim off any foam floating on top of the soup. Add the cilantro and salt to taste. Serve immediately.
