This Vegan Dan Dan Noodles recipe is as close to the original as you'll get! It's savoury and spicy making it a warming bowl of food. Get the recipe below.
A vegan take on a classic Sichuan dish
If you're in the mood for something spicy then why not try Vegan Dan Dan noodles. My recipe is a twist on a classic Sichuan noodle dish that still has all the bold flavours and textures of the original but skips the meat.
Only 1 substitute is required to make the best Vegan Dan Dan noodles you'll ever try!
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What are Dan Dan Noodles?
Dan Dan Noodles originate from the Sichuan province of China. You may have heard of the spicy Sichuan peppercorns which also come from the region. The dishes that come from here are renowned for their spicy flavour and numbing effects of the peppercorns.
Traditionally, Dan Dan Noodles are made from wheat noodles topped with a mixture of minced pork, preserved vegetables, chilli oil, and Sichuan peppercorns all coated in a savoury sauce.
My vegan version swaps out the animal based ingredients for a plant based version which is just as delicious as the original.
How to make Vegan Dan Dan Noodles
The secret to these Vegan Dan Dan Noodles is balancing the five key flavours: spicy, savoury, sweet, tangy, and umami. Here’s how we achieve this:
- Spicy: For this recipe you want a punchy chilli oil made with chilli, garlic, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns.
- Savoury: Soy sauce and miso create a deep, salty base that mimics the flavour depth of fermented ingredients traditionally used in Sichuan cuisine.
- Sweet: A dash of sugar balances the heat and saltiness.
- Tangy: Rice vinegar adds brightness to the dish.
- Umami: Instead of pork, crumbled tofu and mushrooms are the perfect substitute.
To make the noodles you need to follow 4 steps.
- Make the sauce: combine all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl then place to one side. You'll add some of the cooking water from the noodles to make it extra saucy.
- Cook the tofu: crumbling the tofu and then cooking it with the aromatics until crispy.
- Cook the noodles along with the pak choi: just add them both to a pan of boiling water and cook until just done.
- Combine all of the above!
It really is that simple making it ideal for a mid week meal or a quick dinner at the weekend.
Specialist ingredients
You might have spotted that the recipe calls for two specialist ingredients: (1) Sichuan peppercorns and (2) mustard greens. The rest of the ingredients you should be able to get in any supermarket but you may have to look a bit further afield for the Sichuan peppercorns and mustard greens.
Sichuan peppercorns are may look like peppercorns but they are actually the berries of the prickly ash tree, which is a member of the citrus family. You can find them in any good Asian supermarket.
Preserved mustard greens are essential mustard greens that have been pickled. The Sichuan variety has also been slightly sweetened with sugar. They are essential for this dish so don't be tempted to skip them. You can also find these in jars in your local Asian supermarket.
Once you've found these ingredients there's nothing stopping you from making the best Vegan Dan Dan Noodles!
The recipe
Vegan Dan Dan Noodles
Ingredients
For the dan dan sauce
- 100 grams sesame paste can be substituted with tahini or peanut butter
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1.5 tablespoons caster sugar
- 0.5 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns ground and toasted
- 2 tablespoons chilli oil plus extra to serve (optional)
For the tofu topping
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 350 grams extra firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons Shaoxing cooking wine
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 0.5 teaspoon caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon preserved mustard greens
To serve
- 400 grams wheat noodles
- 2 pak choi trimmed and washed
- 2 tablespoons peanuts roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all the dan dan sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Next heat the vegetable oil in a wok and add the crumbled tofu. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until cooked.
- Add the ginger, garlic, Shaoxing, soy sauce and sugar and fry for 2-3 minutes until the tofu is browned and all the liquid has evaporated.
- Add the mustard greens and cook until hot.
- Next add the noodles to a saucepan of boiling water and cook according to the packets instructions.
- In the last minute of cooking, add the pak choi.
- Drain the noodles and pak choi, keeping roughly 350 ml of the cooking liquid behind.
- Add the water to the sauce and stir to combine.
- Divide the sauce and noodles between two bowls.
- Top with the crispy tofu, pak choi and peanuts.
- Drizzle over extra chilli oil as you wish.
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