I love soupy foods, especially when it’s cold outside, and also when I’m having a cold! Bringing back all those flavours into your own kitchen is a heavenly thought when you can’t just run to next food stall to get your favourite beef ball soup. Inspired by my last order for Bohpoh Soup (it’s vietnemese) at the restaurant, I wanted to try this too at home. This recipe is easy to make and is mighty delicious.  Makes for 2.

Ingredients:

500g Beef
1 -2 middle sized onions
1 thumb ginger, sliced
4 pimento & 2x lorbeer (laurel)
sesame oil
2 stalks spring onion
1 handfull bean sprouts
5 – 6 basil leaves per bowl
1 teaspoon fried onions (bawang goreng), and fried garlic in oil for garnishing (optional)
160g glas noodle or broad rice noodle (kuay teaw)

Method:

Quarter the onions, slice the ginger. Rinse the beef thoroughly and put this together with onions, ginger, Pimento , Lorbeer (Laurel) in the pot and simmer for about 2 hours. (Pimento & loraul are usually used in german traditional dishes, but I found them a good taste maker) If you have a pressure cooker, you could quicken up the process with just cooking it for 45 mins. Add salt to taste and stir.

In the meantime, clean the bean sprouts, blanche them in a pot of boiling water for a minute. Take them out and place in a bowl. Take your glasnoodles and soften them in a bowl of cold water for about 10 mins. You can also boil them briefly in the beef stalk with a scouper, but be careful that you don’t overcook them. Place them in portions in the respective bowls. If you are using the thick broad noodles, please boil them according to the instructions. Place the bean sprouts on top. Take out the meat from the soup and slice this thinly. Portionize them in the bowls, as much and as little as you like. Add basil leaves (Thai basil leaves) on the side. Just before serving, make sure the soups still simmering hot, pour some soup to cover the noodles. Garnisch with sliced spring onions. Serve with some chilly padi and eat while hot. Optionally, you could sprinkle some bawang goreng and fried garlic over the portions.

Enjoy!