Mongolian Beef Soup

From Oonagh Williams of Royal Temptations Catering

Easily made, tasty hot soup for Halloween or any chilly night. 

Gluten-Free Mongolian Beef Soup 

Ingredients: 

• ~1 lb shaved steak, cut up into smaller pieces. I like the certified Angus my local chain grocery store carries.  I buy either shaved or ground Angus when it’s on sale. I think they have meatier taste in the mouth
• 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled, quartered lengthwise and cut into ~ 1” pieces
• 2 celery stalks, washed, quartered lengthwise and cut into ~ 1” pieces
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger 
• 2 tbsp oil – I normally use avocado oil. I used to use peanut oil, I never use canola or soy oil
• 1/3 cup tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
• Chop some broccoli stalks if you have them
• 1 tbsp beef stock concentrate (gluten-free)
• Mushrooms, cleaned, halved and sliced
• snap peas
• 1/2 can baby corn
• Handful of chopped frozen spinach
• 4 oz fine gluten-free rice noodles
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large pan, fry all veg together with oil, over medium heat, until softening then add beef and fry for a few minutes until sealed.
2. Add tamari , light brown sugar, 8 c water and 1 tbsp beef stock concentrate (8 cups if you are cooking noodles in soup, only 6 cups if noodles are cooked separately.),  sliced baby corn, mushrooms,salt and pepper to taste.
3. Leave to cook for at least 20 minutes until carrots and celery are tender.
4. Add sliced snap peas, handful of chopped frozen spinach and about 4 oz very fine rice noodles, put on top of soup, leave to cook for 5 mins, then use scissors in soup to cut small. Noodles tend to explode outside of large bag and don’t break up easily.   I’ve only seen rice noodles in ‘bricks’ in large container of several bricks. Look at weight of packet and how many ‘bricks’ of noodles. Of course you can add more noodles to make soup thicker, or less noodles so soup is runnier.
5. Thicken with tablespoon of corn starch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water if you want. Remember that noodles will absorb more liquid as soup sits.