When I was in college quite a few years ago, I had a roommate who came
from a well-to-do family in Bangkok.  She liked to cook, and she
executed some wonderful creations in our dorm room, making (illegal)
use of electric popcorn poppers as the heating unit.  We had feasts
involving six or seven dormmates' popcorn poppers behind closely
guarded doors.

Some of her dishes were in some way traditional Thai cooking, and some
were her own invention.  I think some were a blend.

She made a delicious soup that she or maybe I called "beef and bean
sprout soup."  I have tried without success to recreate this dish. 
Unfortunately I never paid good attention when she was making it.  My
question is, can anybody identify this dish and provide a recipe?

As I recall, it was quite simple.  Ingredients were nothing more than
beef, bean sprouts, water, some kind of seasoning, and vinegar.  Oh,
and maybe water chestnuts.
  
She bought a small amount of nice beef.  She cut it up and boiled it,
making a nice brown broth.  If she did anything to it first, I don't
remember.  Other seasonings were minimal; I don't even remember if
there was soy sauce.  At the last moment she added bean sprouts.  

She put in a little vinegar when she made it, and she added a lot more to
her own bowl.  Also she put a lot of hot red pepper flakes into her
own portion.

It is hard to describe how delicious this was, but I could have eaten it all night.

Can you help me recreate this long-ago culinary experience?  I would
ask her, but we lost touch years ago and I have no way of finding her
now.

Thank you,
Archae0pteryx

Is this close to what you are looking for?

Beansprout and Beef Soup   HT    35mins

Serves 4     Soups others     SP   Hot

 

Ingredients:

225g/8oz Bean Sprouts, rinsed

225g/8oz Lean Beef

1 Onion, finely chopped

1 Garlic Clove, crushed

4 teasp Oil

3 tbsp Soy Sauce

1.1L/2pt Light Stock

Salt and Black Pepper

 

Instructions

 

1. Cut the beef across the grain into very thin strips. Heat the oil
in a saucepan, add the onion and crushed garlic and fry until
transparent. Add the beef and fry over a high heat until well browned
all over.

 

2. Add half the soy sauce and the bean sprouts, stir, and cook over a
moderate heat for 5 minutes.

 

3. Gradually pour in the stock and remaining soy sauce, stirring to
release any sediment from bottom of the pan. Bring to boil, cover and
simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, then pour into a
warmed soup tureen and serve immediately.

Sorry Trix...

I don't venture into my kitchen much these days...

I don't know, David, though I do thank you for the suggestion.  It
does sound close.  But she didn't use any onion or garlic.  She did
have vinegar, which she seemed to consider necessary.  Just for her
own taste?  I have no idea.  I have tried things that sounded like
this recipe, though, and they weren't right.  What I was hoping was
that somebody with Thai cooking experience would say, "I know exactly
what that is!  Here's what you do..."

That's why I put in the detail about the conditions under which she
was cooking, in case they would help someone figure out what was
customary and what was improvisation.

Archae0pteryx

Why, Steph?  Is there something dreadful *living* in there?

Sorry, I have just been studying Kafka's "Metamorphosis," which has
brought all sorts of creepy possibilities to mind.

Tryx

Heheheheh Trix....

What I meant was that I hardly ever cook. I live by myself and am
never home on weekends, do its just easier for me to do the eat out/
take out route.

If there is anything growing in my kitchen, its probably cobwebs.....

Steph53