Night-Blooming Jasmine Flower Beef Noodle Soup

Why people make this dish

Night-blooming jasmine — known in Cantonese as ye xiang hua, and sometimes called Chinese star jasmine or cowslip creeper — is a flowering vine whose blossoms open in the evening, releasing a delicate, honeyed fragrance. In Cantonese cooking, the flowers are prized as a seasonal ingredient in stir-fries and soups during their peak season. Bro Niu uses them here in a simple noodle soup that comes together in just minutes: springy Beijing pulled noodles chilled after cooking so they turn perfectly silky, tender beef tenderloin barely cooked through in a hot broth, and a handful of fragrant flowers added at the very end. It is the kind of dish that makes you want to eat even on a hot, heavy day when your appetite has gone missing.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suitable for most people, including pregnant women
• A good choice when appetite is poor or when something light but satisfying is needed
• When buying night-blooming jasmine, choose flowers with large, firm, tightly closed buds — these have the best fragrance and crispest texture

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Night-blooming jasmine (ye xiang hua): A fragrant edible flower long used in Cantonese and Southeast Asian kitchens. Its aroma is naturally appetite-stimulating, and it has a crisp, pleasant texture when just briefly cooked. In traditional food therapy, fragrant flowers are often associated with gently moving qi and lifting the spirits.
• Beef tenderloin: The most tender cut of beef, quick-cooking and easy to digest. Beef is considered warming and nourishing to the spleen and stomach in Chinese food therapy.
• Beijing pulled noodles (la mian): These pulled noodles become exceptionally smooth and silky when cooked, then rinsed in cold water — a technique that stops the cooking immediately and gives the noodles a pleasant springy bite.
• Good broth (shang tang): A clear, flavorful stock is what ties this dish together. A simple chicken-and-pork bone broth, or any good quality stock you have on hand, works well.

Ingredients (1–2 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Beijing pulled noodles	1–2 portions	Widely available in Asian supermarkets, fresh or dried
Beef tenderloin, thinly sliced	~150–200 g	Slice against the grain for maximum tenderness
Night-blooming jasmine flowers	generous handful (~80–100 g)	Choose large, firm, unopened buds for the best flavor and texture
Good clear stock	~500–600 ml	Chicken, pork bone, or combined stock

Method

1. Cook the Beijing pulled noodles according to the packet instructions. As soon as they are done, drain and immediately rinse under cold running water (this is called “passing through the cold river” — guo leng he). Drain well and set in your serving bowl.
2. Bring the stock to a rolling boil in a separate pot.
3. Add the thinly sliced beef tenderloin to the boiling stock. Cook just until the beef is about 80% done — it will continue cooking from residual heat.
4. Add the night-blooming jasmine flowers and return to the boil. As soon as the broth comes back to a boil and the flowers are just wilted, the soup is ready.
5. Ladle the hot broth, beef, and flowers over the noodles. Serve immediately.

Bro Niu’s tips

• The trick to silky noodles is the cold-water rinse right after cooking — do not skip this step. It stops the noodles from becoming soft and starchy.
• Choose night-blooming jasmine with large, firm, unopened buds — they have the cleanest fragrance and the most satisfying texture. Flowers that have already opened will be less crisp.
• Add the flowers at the very last moment and serve immediately; they only need a few seconds in the boiling broth.

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Published July 25, 2012 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.