Lamb Noodle Soup
Warming lamb broth ladled over noodles.
← Home soup lamb warming
Lamb Soup with Potatoes and Carrots
Lamb simmered low and slow until the broth turns milky, with potatoes, carrots and onion, finished with coriander warmed through in the soup. Adapted from the original ClouChef R&D report — 羊肉汤, report 158.
Original poster image from clouchef.com (poster: 羊肉汤_158.jpeg). This is the hero poster only, not a step-by-step photo set.
Prep: 40 minutesCook: 2 hours 10 minutesTotal: 2 hours 50 minutesServings: 2–3Difficulty: Easy–MediumRegion: Northern ChinaFlavour: Savoury
Home adaptation note: The report is one restaurant portion (200 g lamb, about 600 ml soup); quantities below are that portion, so servings are 2–3 as a shared soup. The optional flour for noodles or thickening is listed but not required at home.
Why this works
This is a patience dish, and the report is strict about the order of operations. Lamb is soaked for thirty minutes, then blanched from cold water so the blood and scum can escape; starting in hot water would trap them and cloud the soup. After that the pot is kept at a bare simmer, around ninety to ninety-five degrees, for two hours, which is what turns the broth milky without shredding the meat. Potatoes and carrots only go in after ninety minutes, because potatoes added earlier would dissolve and carrots need a full half hour to turn sweet. Salt is held until the last five minutes, since early salting tightens the protein and makes both meat and broth taste harsh. Coriander is not scattered raw on top: it goes into the hot soup for about ten seconds, which is the report's safety rule and also wilts it just enough to perfume the bowl.
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Ingredients
| Ingredient | US | Metric | Substitute / note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamb, cut into 3 cm chunks | 7 oz | 200 g | Shoulder or leg; bone-in gives a richer broth (adaptation). |
| Potato, cut into rolling chunks | 3.5 oz | 100 g | — |
| Carrot, cut into rolling chunks | 2.8 oz | 80 g | — |
| Onion, cut into thick shreds | 1 oz | 30 g | Fried first to perfume the pot, per the report. |
| Coriander, cut into sections | 0.35 oz | 10 g | Stir into hot soup for about 10 seconds; do not scatter raw. |
| Salt | 1 tsp | 5 g | Add only in the last 5 minutes. |
| Water | 3 1/3 cups | 800 ml | — |
| Flour (optional, for hand-pulled noodles or thickening) | 0.7 oz | 20 g | Optional in the report; omit for a clear soup. |
Equipment
- Large heavy pot with a lid
- Fine strainer or skimmer for the blanching foam
- No steamer or wok needed
Steps
- Soak and cut. Soak the lamb in cold water for 30 minutes. Cut into 3 cm chunks; peel and chunk the potato and carrot; shred the onion; cut the coriander into sections and wash it.
- Blanch. Put the lamb in cold water, bring to a boil over high heat, skim the foam, lift out and rinse in warm water.
- Simmer. Fry the onion shreds until fragrant, add the lamb and enough water (the report uses a 1:4 meat-to-water feel), bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat, barely bubbling, for 2 hours.
- Add the vegetables. After 1.5 hours, add the potato and carrot and simmer 30 minutes more until soft.
- Season and finish. Five minutes before the end, add the salt. Stir in the coriander and let the hot soup warm it through for about 10 seconds. Serve at 75 °C or hotter. If making noodle soup, cook noodles separately and ladle the soup over.
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Technique: Cold-water blanch, bare simmer
Blanching from cold water is what keeps the broth milky-white instead of grey. Once simmering, the surface should only just tremble; a rolling boil breaks up fat and clouds the soup, and it also toughens the lamb.
Variations
- Noodle soup: Cook wheat noodles separately and ladle soup and meat over them, as the report suggests.
- Simpler vegetables: Use only potato, or only carrot, keeping the same timing for whichever you add.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my soup cloudy?
Most likely the lamb was blanched from hot water, or the pot boiled hard. Both trap scum and fat in the broth.
Why is the lamb tough?
Salt added too early, or a hard boil. Hold the salt to the last five minutes and keep the simmer gentle.
Can I use a pressure cooker?
The report does not use one. It would shorten the time, but the milky broth and the vegetable timing would need re-testing at home, so it is not presented as equivalent here.
Storage
Keeps 2 days refrigerated or 1 month frozen; reheat to a full boil. Store noodles separately if you made the noodle version.
Lamb Soup with Potatoes and Carrots — Recipe Card
Milky lamb broth with potatoes, carrots and coriander warmed through in the soup.
Prep: 40 minutesCook: 2 hours 10 minutesTotal: 2 hours 50 minutesServings: 2–3
Ingredients: 200 g lamb; 100 g potato; 80 g carrot; 30 g onion; 10 g coriander; 5 g salt; 800 ml water; 20 g flour (optional).
Steps: 1) Soak lamb 30 minutes, blanch from cold water. 2) Simmer gently 2 hours with fried onion. 3) Add potato and carrot after 1.5 hours. 4) Salt in the last 5 minutes, warm coriander through 10 seconds.
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Source note: ingredients, quantities and steps are adapted from the original ClouChef R&D report for 羊肉汤 (data/reports/158.md). The report's pricing, margin and marketing sections are deliberately omitted here; no B2B cost is presented as a home-cook cost.