Vegan Dan Dan Noodles
Vegan dan dan noodles is a plant based version of our favorite weeknight meal ~ this easy Chinese noodle bowl has got all the flavor without the meat!
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
sauce
- 1/4 cup Chinese chili oil Note: you want chili oil with the chili flakes in it., I love Fly by Jing, or you can make your own with my recipe, here!
- 3 Tbsp Tamari soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp tahini (sesame paste) or you can use peanut butter.
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
- 1/2 tsp ground sichuan peppercorns, optional.
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
tofu
- 1/2 lb extra firm tofu
- vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp tamari soy sauce
- 2 tsp hoisin sauce
- 2 tsp mirin
- 1/2 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
noodles
greens
- 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and sliced in 3 inch pieces
- 2-3 baby bok choy, trimmed and sliced lengthwise into quarters
garnish
- chopped cashews or peanuts
- sliced scallions
- toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Get a pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil.
- Whisk the sauce ingredients together. Taste to adjust any of the ingredients to your liking and set aside.
tofu crumbles
- Meanwhile slice your block of tofu into thin slices. Then stack the slices and slice again. The cut crosswise to create a very fine mince.
- Heat the oil in a skillet or wok and stir fry the tofu for several minutes. It's not going to brown, but it will release moisture. If your pieces of tofu are larger, break them down with the back of a spatula as you fry. You want a small crumbly texture.
- Add the Tamari, hoisin, mirin, and 5 spice powder to the pan and continue stir frying for another few minutes. The liquid will evaporate and you'll be left with a crumbly mixture. Remove it to a plate.
- Cook the noodles according to the package instructions, this is usually just a few minutes. At the last minute, add the scallions and bok choy to the boiling water. Reserve about a cup of the cooking water, then drain.
- Add 1/3 cup of the cooking water to the tofu skillet, and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom. Add the sauce and just bring to a simmer.
- Divide the sauce equally between 4 bowls.
- Top the sauce with the noodles and wilted veggies. Then spoon the tofu over top.
- Garnish with chopped cashews, sliced scallions, and sesame seeds. Toss the noodles with the sauce before eating.
Notes
This is the traditional way to serve dan dan noodles, with the sauce on the bottom of the bowl, topped with the noodles. I prefer to toss the noodles with the hot sauce first and then add to the serving bowls.
Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave.
Nutrition
Calories: 516 kcal · Carbohydrates: 49 g · Protein: 14 g · Fat: 30 g · Saturated Fat: 8 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 5 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 16 g · Trans Fat: 0.01 g · Cholesterol: 0.1 mg · Sodium: 2395 mg · Potassium: 299 mg · Fiber: 2 g · Sugar: 5 g · Vitamin A: 16 IU · Vitamin C: 1 mg · Calcium: 60 mg · Iron: 4 mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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