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. Nourilo 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.

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.

Nourilo’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.