Speedy Tomato Beef Noodle Soup
When you’re hungry for a bowl of beef noodle soup but only have 20 minutes, this Speedy Tomato Beef Noodle Soup definitely satisfies my cravings. Fresh tomatoes give the broth a rich, tangy base, while thinly sliced hot pot beef keeps it hearty. It’s super flavorful, but cooks so fast. This one-pot weeknight recipe is the type of speedy comfort food that you’ll really enjoy at the end of a busy day.
My Shortcut Taiwanese Beef Tomato Noodle Soup
This Speedy Beef Tomato Noodle Soup is my shortcut to getting those same cozy, familiar Taiwanese flavors without the long wait. I love a bowl of Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup, but I don’t always have 2 hours to simmer the broth. This 20 minute version is the answer! By quickly searing the beef, sautéing fresh tomatoes, and layering in broth and seasonings, you still get that rich, deep flavor that makes the dish so comforting. The silky egg drop at the end ties everything together, adding richness and comfort to the broth in just seconds. It’s the kind of recipe I reach for on busy weeknights, or late night noodle break.
Tomato Beef Noodle Soup Ingredients
- 200 g Thinly Sliced Beef sirloin or hotpot-style slices work best
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped
- 2 green onions white and green parts separated
- 2 tbsp soy sauce divided
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- 2 tbsp ketchup secret ingredient
- 2.5-3 cups chicken or beef stock
- 2 servings dried noodles
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
Thinly Sliced Beef
To cook a speedy bowl of noodle soup, I love using thinly sliced beef. I suggest using sirloin that you slice yourself, or keep it simple with sliced hot pot beef like beef belly, short ribs, or brisket. These thin slices cook through in a few minutes, so you can get dinner on the table fast. After a quick sear, the beef fat from the sliced beef renders into the pot. This infuses the tomatoes later with a beefy flavor. It makes the bowl of soup tastes like it has been simmering all day.
Fresh Tomatoes
This tomato soup base takes only 10 minutes, but tastes like you’ve been cooking it for hours thanks to fresh tomatoes. Just boiling tomatoes won’t get you that wonderfully thick, sweet broth. The trick is actually building flavor by sautéing first. Using the white parts of the green onions and leftover beef fat in the pot from searing, the tomatoes absorb the beefy flavors. As it cooks, natural pectins and sugars are released and caramelized. This step is what transforms simple tomatoes into a rich, thick base that carries the whole soup.
Seasoning For Broth Base
To really enhance the tomato flavors, we’re layering in soy sauce, white pepper, ketchup and chicken or beef broth to add savory flavors to this base. The ketchup is my secret ingredient, adding some extra sweet, tangy, concentrated tomato flavors into the soup. It’s the perfect companion to the seared beef. To keep the soup from being too sweet or tangy, we’re balancing it out with some soy sauce and white pepper. The egg drop at the end rounds everything off, giving the broth extra body and richness.
Best Dried Noodles
Cooking dried noodles directly in the tomato broth is the most flavorful way to cook this noodle soup. It not only infuses the noodles with the beefy, tomatoey flavor, but also adds a little extra starch to thicken the soup. I’m using kai dong’s sun dried QQ noodles. It has the right, bouncy texture that can withstand cooking without falling apart.
If you don’t have kai dong noodles, you can also use any other wheat noodles, frozen udon, or even rice noodles.
Instructions For Tomato Beef Noodle Soup
- Cook the Beef: Heat oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef, season with 1 tbsp soy sauce and black pepper, and sauté for 3–4 minutes until just browned (70% cooked). Remove and set aside.
- Build the Tomato Base: In the same pot, add chopped tomatoes and the white parts of the green onion. Sauté for 4 minutes until the tomatoes break down and become jammy.
- Season & Add Stock: Stir in 1 tbsp soy sauce, white pepper, and ketchup. Mix well, then pour in the stock. Bring to a simmer.
- Add Noodles & Beef: Once simmering, add the noodles and return the beef to the pot. Cook for about 4 minutes, or until the noodles are tender.
- Finish with Egg: Slowly pour in the beaten eggs while gently stirring, creating silky ribbons. Garnish with the green onion tops.
More Time Saving Versions of Asian Recipes You’ll Love
Speedy Tomato Beef Noodle Soup
By Tiffy Cooks
Equipment
Ingredients
- 200 g Thinly Sliced Beef sirloin or hotpot-style slices work best
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped
- 2 green onions white and green parts separated
- 2 tbsp soy sauce divided
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- 2 tbsp ketchup secret ingredient
- 2.5-3 cups chicken or beef stock
- 2 servings dried noodles
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
Instructions
- Cook the Beef: Heat oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef, season with 1 tbsp soy sauce and black pepper, and sauté for 3–4 minutes until just browned (70% cooked). Remove and set aside.
- Build the Tomato Base: In the same pot, add chopped tomatoes and the white parts of the green onion. Sauté for 4 minutes until the tomatoes break down and become jammy.
- Season & Add Stock: Stir in 1 tbsp soy sauce, white pepper, and ketchup. Mix well, then pour in the stock. Bring to a simmer.
- Add Noodles & Beef: Once simmering, add the noodles and return the beef to the pot. Cook for about 4 minutes, or until the noodles are tender.
- Finish with Egg: Slowly pour in the beaten eggs while gently stirring, creating silky ribbons. Garnish with the green onion tops.
My Taiwanese mom is super picky and she loved this! The ketchup and white pepper really add that extra layer of flavor and I used premium bouillon powder. this was so yummy! I forgot the egg at the end but added some bok choy and enoki that I had on hand. Thank you for this easy recipe ❤️
Made it for lunch with frozen udon and it was delicious!