This Spicy Korean Beef Noodle Soup is made with rich beef bone broth and spiced up with Korean red pepper flakes ~ it will warm up your belly.
It was just 15 degrees one day last week (3 degrees with the windchill factor) and this Spicy Korean Beef Noodle Soup was calling my name. I had made a batch of Mineral Rich Beef Bone Broth so it was the perfect reason to try this wintery Korean soup.
I’ve got a few Korean cookbooks in my collection and pieced together a version of a spicy beef soup called Yuke-jaong. Traditionally, this soup is made with flank steak, bean sprouts and fiddlehead fern, so my version is a slight twist, using bok choy and shitake mushrooms in place of bean sprouts and fiddlehead fern, and short rib meat (from the Mineral Rich Beef Bone Broth) instead of flank steak. I also used mung bean noodles instead of sweet potato starch noodles that are common in Korean cooking.
Control the spiciness by varying the amount of Korean red pepper flakes. When I made this batch, it wasn’t that spicy, so the second time I tried it, I sprinkled in some more Korean red pepper flakes. Korean red pepper flakes are not the same as red chili pepper flakes – Korean red pepper flakes are milder. So, if you want to use regular red chili pepper flakes instead, I would suggest grinding it finer and using a lot less.
Now, sit down, and just imagine a rich, steamy bowl of this Spicy Korean Beef Noodle Soup in front of you – just what the cold weather calls for.
Spicy Korean Beef Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pack 1.7 ounces mung bean noodles (sometimes called cellophane or glass noodles)
- 1 cup cooked short rib meat shredded (from rich beef broth recipe)
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons Korean red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon garlic chopped
- 4 cups Rich Beef Broth
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups bok choy chopped
- 4 fresh shitake mushrooms sliced
- 2 scallions cut into 2" lengths
- extra Korean red pepper flakes for serving
- fish sauce or soy sauce for serving
Instructions
- Soak mung bean noodles in hot water for 20-30 minutes; drain.
- Heat sesame oil, red pepper flakes and garlic in a small pan until fragrant and garlic is light brown; mix with shredded meat; set aside
- Heat beef broth and water in a large saucepan. Add bok choy, mushrooms, and drained, soaked mung bean noodles; cook about 3-4 minutes until noodles are just soft and bok choy is cooked. Add marinated meat and scallions to soup and heat through. Divide among bowls; serve with extra Korean red pepper flakes for spicy food lovers. If beef broth is unsalted, serve with fish sauce or soy sauce on the side for drizzling.
Recipe Notes
Break one egg per person served into the soup and poach for 3-4 minutes, if desired. Adapted from Dok Suni by Jenny Kwak and The Korean Kitchen by Copeland Marks.
If you like spicy Asian soups, you might like:
Spicy Chinese Beef Noodle Soup
Spicy Kimchi Tofu Mushroom Egg Soup
and this Spicy Korean “Ramen” Noodle Soup:
Sweet and Spicy Spiralized Cucumber Tomato Arugula Salad Recipe {Daniel Plan Recipe}
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I could really go for a HUGE bowl of this soup right now. We’re freezing with another snow storm in WI, I can’t believe it’s March! Pinned and shared!
I hear you Laura – we just got hit again today too – hard to believe it’s still snowing in March! Say warm!
This is so very appetizing and warming!
Thanks Angie – it’s been a long winter so I’ve been getting through the cold weather with hot noodle soups like this one.
Jeanette, Korean food is the way to my heart. . I love Yukgaejang!!! I couldn’t actually handle the heat when I was younger but now I love it!!! also going to check out your Spicy Kimchi Tofu Mushroom Egg Soup!!! delicious!
I love Korean food and there are so many great winter soups. Spicy soups are especially warming this cold winter, so I’ve been eating a lot of them lately.
Spicy noodle soups are perfect for warming up with and I really I wish I had a big bowl of this right now! I adore Korean stews and soups but have not tried making this spicy beef noodle soup before so I’m excited to add this to our dinner menu. It looks so comforting and delicious and I love the flavors!
I love Korean stews and soups too, especially spicy ones – always hearty and comforting in cold weather 🙂
Love soups like this, hearty, healthy and delicious. Pinned!
Homemade soups and broths are simply the best and I love how you changed up this recipe, Jeanette! So creative and I love the spicy factor. Your styling and photography is just marvelous here, too. So inviting! Thanks for sharing, my friend. Pinning!
Thanks Stacy – we’re about to get another snow storm so I’ll be making more of this soon!
Oh Jeanette – that bowl – I just wanna dive right into it! This sounds wonderful!
I am craving a big bowl of this delicious soup!! Your pictures are amazing and all those yummy flavors are making me drool!!
All of these recipes look amazing Jeanette! Pinned and can’t wait to dive in – especially that Beef Noodle Soup – yum!
That is one serious looking soup- talk about a meal in a bowl! It looks so flavorful, comforting and delicious!
It’s freezing here today! I would love to warm up with a huge bowl of this soup!
The weather has just dipped into cold territory now and this looks so comforting- I had Korean BBQ the other night and was tempted to steal their thinly sliced beef. Oops.
Yum, this beef looks so melty and tender, I’ll have this soup with mustard, I’m sure it will be great (Don’t shout at me,
I know you probably think it’s unorthodox…)!
Thanks Sylvie – sounds like an interesting addition – let me know how it turns out.
Is that egg In the bowl Too?
Yes, I threw in an egg as an afterthought – it poaches in the hot soup.
This looks great and well balanced!
Thank you!
“SPICY KOREAN BEEF NOODLE SOUP” is next on my list of belly warm’in goodness. You are speak’in my language! ????
Hope you enjoy this recipe John! Great way to keep warm this winter.
This is a eat with fork and spoon soup. I feel warm all over. Hopefully I can wait till tomorrow to shovel out the driveway! Lol. ????
So glad you are enjoying this comfort meal – Asian noodle soups are one of my favorite things to eat when it’s cold out 🙂