Uzbek Lagman (Hand-Pulled Noodle Soup with Beef and Vegetables)

About This Recipe

Uzbek Lagman is a real, traditional Uzbek dish, known as Hand-Pulled Noodle Soup with Beef and Vegetables. Long, hand-pulled wheat noodles served in a richly spiced beef and vegetable broth, a beloved Uzbek dish with Silk Road roots.\n\nLagman reflects Uzbekistan's Silk Road culinary heritage, closely related to noodle dishes found across Central Asia and Western China, historically made by pulling and stretching wheat dough by hand into long strands.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Uzbek home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 500 gall-purpose flour
• 1 tspfine sea salt(for dough)
• 220 mlwarm water
• 1 tbspneutral oil, for the dough
• 600 gbeef chuck(sliced thin)
• 4 tbspneutral oil, for the soup
• 1yellow onion(sliced)
• 2carrots(julienned)
• 1red bell pepper(sliced)
• 3tomatoes(diced)
• 6garlic cloves(minced)
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1 tsppaprika
• 1.5 Lbeef stock
• 2 tbspchopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the noodle dough

   Mix flour, salt and warm water into a firm dough, kneading for 10 minutes. Rub with oil, cover, and rest for 1 hour.

2. 2

   Stretch the noodles

   Divide the dough into portions, roll into ropes, and stretch each by hand repeatedly, slapping it against the counter, until long and thin. Boil the pulled noodles for 3 to 4 minutes until just cooked, then drain.

3. 3

   Sear the beef

   Heat oil in a large pot and sear the sliced beef over high heat until browned; set aside.

4. 4

   Cook the vegetables

   In the same pot, cook onion, carrots and bell pepper until softened, about 10 minutes.

5. 5

   Build the broth

   Add garlic, tomato paste, cumin and paprika, cooking for 1 minute, then add tomatoes, beef stock and the seared beef. Simmer for 30 minutes until the beef is tender.

6. 6

   Serve

   Divide the cooked noodles into bowls, ladle the hot broth and vegetables over them, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Variations

• •

  Add a spoonful of chili oil for a spicier version.

• •

  Some regions add bell peppers of multiple colors for a more colorful dish.

• •

  Use lamb instead of beef for a different traditional protein.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions