Ingredients
- 300 g thin beef slices (hot-pot style) or beef stew meat
- 4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 3 slices ginger
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1.2 L water or unsalted stock
- 400 g wheat noodles
- Baby bok choy or spinach, a handful per person
Steps
- 01Soften the onion and ginger in a little oil, then add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook 5 minutes until saucy.
- 02Add the water, soy sauce, and sugar. Simmer 20 minutes so the tomatoes melt into the broth.
- 03Stew meat: add it at the start and simmer 1 hour instead. Thin slices: swish them in at the end for 1–2 minutes until just cooked.
- 04Boil the noodles separately, and blanch the greens in the same pot for the last minute.
- 05Build each bowl: noodles, greens, beef, then the hot tomato broth. Season each bowl to its eater.
Why it works
A gateway noodle soup: naturally sweet-and-sour tomato broth needs no chili to taste complete, and every component sits separately so each kid gets the ratio they want.
Tips
- Noodles boiled in the soup drink it all up and turn bloated — a separate pot keeps leftovers good for tomorrow.
- Freeze the plain broth; future-you gets a 10-minute dinner.
Cooking for a baby too? Set aside an unseasoned portion before the salt and sauces go in, then check the food's own page for the safe form at their age.