West Lake Beef Soup

Method

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1. Mix the minced beef with the wine and the 0.5 tsp salt.

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2. Bring a small pan of water to the boil, add the beef, stir to break it up and blanch 60 seconds. Drain and rinse it.

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3. Bring the stock to a simmer with the ginger, shiitake, soy sauce, salt and white pepper.

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4. Add the blanched beef and the diced tofu and simmer 8 minutes.

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5. Stir in the slaked cornflour and simmer 2 minutes, until the soup is thick enough to coat a spoon.

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6. Turn the heat low and stir the soup in one direction while pouring the beaten egg whites in a thin stream.

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7. Stop stirring and let the ribbons set, 30 seconds.

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8. Add the sesame oil, then stir in the coriander and spring onions off the heat.

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Chef’s Tips

• Blanch the beef first or the soup goes cloudy.
• Thicken before the egg white goes in, not after.
• Pour the egg in a thin stream and stir one way only.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.
• Vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock makes this meat-free without changing the method, if that is what you need.

Pairing Suggestions

• Steamed rice
• A stir-fried vegetable
• Green tea

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerated for 2 days. Reheat gently — boiling breaks the thickening.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.