People tell me all the time that they never cook because they live alone and there’s too much food. My response is always the same: “The most important person you will ever cook for is yourself.” I am married, but my husband is immune compromised and therefore isn’t allowed to eat any meat that’s not well-done, so whenever I’m home alone, some sort of steak is usually on the menu. This Easy Beef & Noodle Soup is so quick to make and it’s very satisfying, not to mention beautiful. Having a bowl of something like this will make you look forward to some me time on the couch a cozy dinner for one!
Steak is sometimes an obvious choice when cooking for yourself because it’s not difficult to find one steak, whether they’re individually packaged at the shops or you’re going to your favourite butcher. The leaner the cut, the less cooking required, so I’ve chosen fillet for this. I personally love fillet steak – it’s my favourite, but you could also use rump if you like.
So what we have here is a quick & easy, sexy version of beef ramen noodles and who wouldn’t love that in front of the TV while home alone? I can’t wait for the next time my husband goes out with his friends so I can treat myself to this delicious bowl of colourful joy and a good rom-com. Let’s get started!
Serves 1
Ingredients
- 1 nest of medium egg noodles (approximately 70g)
- 2 tablespoons garlic oil
- 1 fillet steak
- 1 red chilli, very finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
- Small knob of ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- Splash of lemon juice
- 300ml beef stock
- Chives, very finely chopped for serving (about 1/2 tablespoon of chopped chives)
Method
- Bring a pot of water to boil and cook the noodle nest according to packet instructions (usually about 4 minutes in boiling water). Strain and add straight to the pasta bowl or soup bowl you’ll be eating out of.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium or medium-high. When it’s hot, add the steak to the pan and fry for a few minutes per side. If necessary, you can use the lid here to trap in some of the heat for more even cooking. I won’t give you timing on this specifically as cooking times vary based on thickness of the steak and desired doneness, but I will say that if you like it medium-rare like I do, cook it just under that as the broth will cook it further later. I usually cook a quite thick piece of fillet steak for about 4 to 5 minutes per side, using the lid after flipping it. Once it’s cooked to your desired doneness, remove the steak to a plate to rest. It’s important to remember that if you overcook it, you can’t do anything, but if you undercook it, you can always return it to the pan for some more heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the chillis, garlic and ginger to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes or until softened, stirring with a wooden spoon. Splash in the soy sauce and the lemon juice and stir again to deglaze the pan, scraping up any meaty bits with your wooden spoon before pouring in the beef stock. Bring this to a boil, then pop on the lid, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. If at any time it’s looking a bit too dry, you can add a little more water.
- When the broth is done cooking and you’re ready to serve, slice the steak and lay it out on top of your cooked noodles. Ladle or pour the broth over top of the beef & noodles and sprinkle the top with the chopped chives. Serve piping hot.
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