Vietnamese Inspired Beef Noodle Soup
Vietnamese cuisine is famous for its flavourful, noodle soups – why not try your own healthy version at home?
Recipe overview

35 minutes
(prep: 15 mins / cook: 20 mins)
- Calories 220
- Carbs 28 g
- Sugar 3 g
- Fibre 2 g

Time Required
35 mins

Carbohydrates
28 g/serving
Ingredients
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1½ inch (3.5 cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled and halved
- 1 each cinnamon stick and star anise (or 2 cloves)
- 2 cloves garlic
- Pinch hot pepper flakes
- 4 cups (1 L) sodium reduced beef broth
- 1 cup (250 mL) water
- ½ cup (125 mL) matchstick or shredded carrot
- Half a red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) sodium reduced soy sauce
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) lime juice
- 4 oz (125 g) rice vermicelli noodles
- 1 striploin steak (about 8 oz/227 g), well trimmed and very thinly sliced
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- ¼ cup (50 mL) fresh cilantro, mint and basil leaves
You can ask the butcher to thinly slice your steak for you or use a sharp chef’s knife to get thin slices at home. Be sure to trim all the fat off the steak for the tastiest bowl of soup.
35 minutes
(prep: 15 mins / cook: 20 mins)
- Calories 220
- Carbs 28 g
- Sugar 3 g
- Fibre 2 g
Directions
- In a deep nonstick skillet, over medium high heat; brown onion and ginger on all sides. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in cinnamon, star anise, garlic and hot pepper flakes. Add broth and water; bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Using a small sieve, remove all the solid pieces and discard. Stir in carrot, red pepper, soy sauce and lime juice.
- In a saucepan of boiling water, cook noodles for about 2 minutes or until softened. Drain.
- Divide noodles among soup bowls and top with steak. Ladle hot broth over top of steak to cook. Top with bean sprouts and fresh herbs to serve.
Tip: If you want a more well-done steak in your soup, stir the steak into the broth and cook for about 3 minutes.
Vegetarian Option:
Substitute beef broth with vegetable broth and use half a package of firm tofu – cut into cubes – instead of beef.
Nutritional Info
Per serving (1 of 4)
- Calories 220
- Protein 18 g
- Total fat 4 g
- Saturated fat 2 g
- Trans fat 0 g
- Cholesterol 30 mg
- Carbohydrates 28 g
- Fibre 2 g
- Total sugars 3 g
- Added sugars 0 g
- Sodium 580 mg
- Potassium 330 mg
© 2019 Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. Reproduced with permission from the Heart and Stroke Foundation.