These vegan dan dan noodles are truly addictive. The tender noodles are served in a rich sauce that is nutty, spicy, and extra fragrant, with a hint of sweetness. It also comes with a vegan recipe for a flavorful “meaty” topping that tastes great and clings to the noodles. {Gluten Free adaptable}
Back story
Developing a great vegan dan dan noodle recipe has been on my to-do list for a while. Over the years, I’ve had more and more readers request recipes for vegetarian and vegan Chinese food. I can see that eating healthy is not just a fad, but something that should be popular every day and will stick around.
A couple months ago, my husband Thomas started experimenting with a plant-based diet. He liked it so much that he started his own food blog Gastroplant, a recipe sharing site that documents his journey of cooking with wholesome planted-based ingredients.
Growing up eating everything, eating vegan didn’t really cross my mind (my blog literally has the word Omnivore in it!). In addition, I thought it would be too hard for me to give up fried chicken, runny eggs, and melted cheese. I thought vegan cooking had too many limitations that would affect the flavor and enjoyment.
My opinion changed after I had experimented with a vegan diet for a month.
During that time, not only did I feel better and more energetic, lose weight, and maintain my training, I enjoyed the food so much that I thought I could go 100% vegan after all. After the trial, now I eat 70% plant-based food. The morning green smoothie has become a part of my routine. I’m happy that I can now enjoy a vegan Tonkotsu ramen and chili that tastes as scrumptious as the meat version, without feeling guilty. And I can satisfy a sugar craving with these beautiful miso peanut butter cups after dinner without worrying about gaining weight.
I started to change my perspective. Instead of viewing plant-based cooking as a limitation, now I think it provides me with more tools to create great taste from wholesome ingredients.
Traditional Dan Dan noodles, veganized
OK, enough story sharing and more about cooking.
I published the traditional Chinese Dan Dan Noodles recipe a while ago, but I received some readers’ requests for a vegan version. Had I not tried out the vegan diet, I would have replaced the minced pork topping with some stir-fried shiitake mushrooms and called it a day.
Last weekend when I was tasting the vegan chorizo my husband made, I got very inspired and created my version of the “meat” topping.
Vegan meat topping Ingredients
The ingredients used in the vegan meat include tofu, mushrooms, and pecans. You will
- Blend the mushrooms, pecan, green onions and garlic first to small pieces
- Very coarsely blend the tofu so it mix in, but still have some small bite-size pieces
Instead of cooking the green onion and garlic separately, like in traditional Chinese recipes, I decided to blend them into the vegan meat. This shortens the prep time and the result was just as great.
Cook the vegan meat topping
To cook the topping:
- Cook the tofu mixture until it’s not watery anymore
- Add the seasonings
- Cook until it turns a bit golden brown
The mixture looks like a pile of mush when you add it to the pan. But once you add the seasonings and cook it down, it will eventually become a thick paste that holds its shape. When mixing the noodles with the sauce, it breaks apart nicely and mimics the texture of minced meat.
The recipe yields a bit more topping than you might need, so you can use it in a variety of ways. You can use it to top noodle soup, rice bowls, and other veggie dishes as a meat alternative.
Vegan dan dan noodle ingredients
Secret ingredient – Sui Mi Ya Cai
Sui Mi Ya Cai (碎米芽菜) is a must-have ingredient if you want to call a dish dan dan noodles in China. It is not just any type of fermented mustard green, but a type of cardamine bean sprout that is native to Sichuan. It is dried, flavored with sugar and spices, and fermented. The end result is a dark brown pickle that has a crunchy texture and a one-of-a-kind taste — a bit sweet, salty, savory, with an earthy umami.
I used this ingredient to cook the vegan meat, which yields a result just like traditional dan dan noodles.
I was a bit reluctant to include this ingredient because it is not so common outside of China. Luckily, my friend Taylor carries it and you can purchase it here. I also found one vendor who carries it on Amazon.
If you don’t have this ingredient, no worries. What you can do is to add two to three rehydrated shiitake mushrooms to the vegan meat mixture. Then use 2 tablespoons of fermented black beans to replace the Sui Mi Ya Cai.
Homemade chili oil
Chili oil is a staple in every household in Sichuan and the homemade version is a must. It is the main ingredient in dan dan noodles and I highly recommend you make your own. Making chili oil might look daunting at first, but trust me, it only takes 5 minutes. Check out this post to learn how.
A quick note to anyone who prefers to avoid spicy food — you will still benefit from the homemade chili oil. When you’re making the noodle sauce, you can add a small amount of chili oil to infuse some aroma and smokiness; your dish won’t end up very spicy.
Chinese sesame paste
Chinese sesame paste (芝麻酱, zhi ma jiang) is a thick paste made from toasted sesame seeds. Although a lot of original Sichuan dan dan noodle recipes do not contain this ingredient, I prefer to use it to make the sauce creamier. It also balances the spiciness to round out the flavor. It adds great umami too, so your sauce will still taste great even if you don’t want to add too much chili oil.
You can find Chinese sesame paste in most Asian grocery stores, or purchase it online.
Please note, Chinese sesame paste tastes VERY different from tahini. Do not use tahini as an alternative. If you don’t want to purchase Chinese sesame paste, you can also use unsweetened peanut butter with a few teaspoons of sesame oil mixed in.
TIP
If this is your first time cooking with Chinese sesame paste, you may find it quite solid and very difficult to dissolve into the sauce.
The best way to mix the sauce is to add the sesame paste into a bowl first, then mix in the liquid ingredients little by little. Whisk the mixture with a spoon until the solid paste is fully blended with the liquid. Then add more liquid and repeat.
Type of noodles to use
You will need to use thin wheat noodles for vegan dan dan noodles. My favorite noodles are the Shanghai Yangchun Noodles by Havista, which is a great fresh noodle brand that you can easily find at major Asian grocery stores such as H Mart. The other thin type of noodles is “dragon whiskers (Long Xu Mian, 龙须面), which is a bit too thin for this dish.
If you cannot find this one, any type of dried thin noodles will work.
Mise en place
When you’ve done prepping and cooking, you will have: boiled noodles, blanched baby bok choy, vegan meat topping, sauce, chopped peanuts. All you need to do is assemble the bowl!
Assemble dan dan noodles
Traditionally, street vendors always add the sauce first to a bowl, then the noodles and the toppings. For home cooks, I found the order doesn’t matter too much and I use the order of:
- Adding noodles to single serving bowls
- Pour on a few spoonful of the sauce
- Add the vegan meat topping, baby bok choy and peanuts
I always serve the rest of the sauce and extra chili oil on the side, so you can always add more.
When you mix it up, the vegan meat topping will cling to the noodles and make it so delicious!
I hope you enjoy this one as much as me!
More vegan Chinese recipes
- Mapo Tofu
- Basic Chow Mein
- Vegan Oyster Sauce
- General Tso Tofu
- Hot and Sour Soup
- Eggplant with Garlic Sauce
Vegan Dan Dan Noodles
Ingredients
Vegan meat topping
- 1/2 lb (225 g) mushrooms
- 1/2 cup pecans (or walnuts)
- 3 green onions , coarsely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic , peeled
- 1/2 block (1/2 lb / 225 g) tofu
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/4 cup Sui Mi Ya Cai (*Footnote 1)
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
Noodle sauce
- 4 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste (or unsweetened natural peanut butter)
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic , finely minced
- 3 green onions , finely minced
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/3 to 1 cup homemade chili oil with flakes (or to taste) (*Footnote 2)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns
To assemble
- 10 ounces (300 grams) thin wheat noodles , dried (or 1 pound /450 grams fresh noodles)
- 4 to 6 heads baby bok choy , roughly chopped (or spinach, chard, yu choy etc.)
- 1/4 cup roasted peanuts , crushed (Optional)
- 1/2 cup roasted peanuts (Optional)
Instructions
Prepare sauce
- Whisk sesame paste and light soy sauce until fully incorporated. Add Chinkiang vinegar. Continue stirring until mixed. Then mix in garlic, green onion, and agave syrup.
- Add homemade chili oil, a tablespoon at a time. Mix and taste the sauce. Add more chili oil if you want more spiciness. It’s always safe to mix in a small amount now, and serve more on the side so each individual could add more to their own bowl.
- Add toasted and ground Sichuan peppercorns, 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Taste as you mix, until you can taste the numbingness but can still handle it. The more chili oil you add, the more Sichuan peppercorns you will need.
- The consistency of the sauce can vary depending on the thickness of the sesame paste (peanut butter). If the sauce is too thick, add some water and mix well.
Prepare toppings
- Combine the mushrooms, pecans, onion, and garlic in a food processor. Blend until the ingredients are chopped into small bits. Add the tofu. Pulse a few times until the tofu is coarsely chopped. You can also use your hands to break up the bigger pieces of tofu.
- Heat oil in a skillet or a wok over medium heat until hot. Add Sui Mi Ya Cai. Stir a few times to release the fragrance.
- Add the tofu mixture; cook and stir until the bottom of the pan looks dry, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the soy sauce and cooking wine. Use a spatula to release any bits that are stuck to the pan. Turn to medium to medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until some part of the paste turns golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Transfer everything to a bowl and set aside.
Prepare the noodle bowl
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the baby bok choy. Cook for 40 seconds to 1 minute, until turning tender. Remove the baby bok choys using a slotted spoon, rinse with cold tap water to stop the cooking, then thoroughly drain and set aside.
- In the same pot of water, cook noodles according to the package instructions. Drain the noodles, rinse with cold tap water to stop cooking, then drain again.
- For each noodle bowl, add the noodles, spoon some sauce onto them, add the vegan meat topping, garnish with baby bok choy, sprinkle the crushed peanuts (if using), and mix well. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Notes
- If you cannot find Sui Mi Ya Cai, you can use 2 tablespoons of black bean sauce or fermented black beans to add umami to the vegan meat. Also, you can rehydrate 2 to 3 shiitake mushrooms and add them to the meat mixture. Dried shiitake mushrooms will add an intense and hearty umami to the mixture.
Video
Nutrition
The post was published in Jan 21, 2019 and updated by Apr 27, 2022 with new video and images.
Hi Maggie. I am so glad to hear about your success with your 30-day vegan diet experiment and that you are eating a 70% plant-based diet now — I do hope that with your new food lifestyle that we’ll see more vegetarian recipes on your site. Or at least suggestions on how to make a recipe vegan/vegetarian friendly. I’m vegetarian (used to be vegan but I missed cheese soooo much).
The vegan meat topping sounds so great but unfortunately I have a peanut + nut allergy so I cannot use pecans or walnuts or any other nut. Do you think the vegan nut topping would come out okay without the nuts? Or do you have an alternate ingredient to suggest?
Thank you for all that you share on your blog!
Hi Beth, thanks for your kind words! Yes, I do plan to share more vegan and vegetarian recipes on my blog from now on!
Re your question, you can skip the nuts. I would use 1/2 block tofu to replace them, so the “meat” won’t come out too salty. I think the texture and flavor will work well. Happy cooking and looking forward to your feedback 🙂
Hi Maggie. I’m a recent follower/subscriber and just wanted to tell you how fantastic your blog is. Thank you so much for your time and effort and making messes in your kitchen all so you can freely share recipes with everyone. Also, congrats on completing your 30-day vegan experiment and that your diet is now 70% plant-based. I’ve been a vegetarian for several years now and I feel I’m a more adventurous eater as a vegetarian than when I was an omnivore. Your “pantry” page has been an amazing resource for me and has helped me navigate the Asian grocery store in my town. I’ve printed out a bunch of recipes from your site and will be sure to report back (on the recipe’s page) to let you know how they turned out.
P.S. I’m confused about the language in the drop-down box below. If I choose ‘don’t subscribe’ (I assume to comment notifications) will I be unsubscribed from following your blog?
One small question: egg noodles probably aren’t vegan – what other noodles would you recommend?
Hi Bartosz, actually you can find vegan egg noodles in the Asian market since many of them only use water and flour as ingredients. They call it egg noodles only because of the yellow color. Alternatively, you can use udon noodles or ramen noodles to make this dish.
Hi Maggie,
I found your blog by chance and I am happy I have done so because you share so many lovely vegetarian and vegan recipes. I already tried the chili oil – amazing. Unfortunately, my husband is allergic to any kind of mushrooms which so far has limited my possibilities. Do you have a good substitute for mushrooms in this recipes and maybe also in general for chinese cooking? Thank you.
Hi Pina, I don’t have a great solution to replace the mushroom in general because it does add tons of savory earthy taste to a dish. But I’m happy to look into this and do some experiment so I might find a way to cook without mushrooms in the future.
For this recipe, you actually could try skipping the mushrooms. I borrowed the idea from my husband’s recipe: https://gastroplant.com/vegan-chorizo/ He didn’t use mushrooms in the meat blend but the “meat” turned out flavorful. If you use Sui Mi Ya Cai, it should add plenty of flavor so you should get away without using mushrooms.
I made this and it was delicious! thank you for sharing the recipe 🙂
Made this for my family tonight and they loved it. I left out the chili oil and peppercorns to make it kid-friendly and added the chili oil to my husband and I’s bowls at serving. Delicious! And the kids finished their bowls!
Love this recipe! My meatatrian husband lives this too. I always make a double batch of the ‘meat’ and use it to make lasagna ❤️❤️❤️
Was hesitant about the vegan meat since it looked like a pile of mush, but this dish was delicious! Thank you again <3
Hi Maggie — Thank you so much for your helpful, easy-to-read and easy-to-understand website!!! I’m an ABC, and I’ve never made Chinese food in my life until I came across Omnivore’s Cookbook. Chinese cuisine has always intimidated me, especially shopping in the crazily product-packed aisles at the local Chinese grocery store. I took pictures of the ingredients you recommended & their name written in Chinese characters, and I was finally able to locate all the ingredients (by showing the pictures to a store employee and trotting after him while he plucked everything from different shelves all over the store).
This dish was really easy to make, and we love it!! Dan Dan Noodles is one of our favorite Chinese dishes, so I was excited to make it at home. Highly recommend to all vegans out there. Next up… your Sichuan Eggplant Stir Fry.
Hope you’re staying safe & healthy!
Elle
Thank you SO much for this recipe. I love dan dan mian from my many trips to China and had started making it at home with pork. We stopped eating meat about a year ago, and I missed this dish so much. Your recipe is so authentic and I can hardly tell the difference between the meat version. The only change I make is adding stock to the sauce because I like mine to be more brothy.
At first glance you think “oh my goodness look at the list” but actually it’s very easy and relaxing to make. It’s a recipe that doesn’t make you feel pressured when you make it and the flavor is out of this world! I have a new favorite! Thank you Maggie!
Hi Maggie,
Found your blog today as I was searching to make vegan Chinese dry style noodle (result of watching YouTuber who travels for food and his main food to review is in China! LOL). I attempted to make my own yesterday using information I got from the YouTuber, it tasted pretty delicious 🙂 But reading your Dan Dan noodle recipe today, I know it will elevate it to the next level! I just need to get Sui Mi Ya Cai and hopefully my local Asian supermarket carries it (I live in Ontario, Canada).
I enjoy reading your food blog and recipe, very informative, clear and very helpful. Thank you very much for your time and patience that you put into your writings. And on this page you mentioned about your husband’s own plant-based blog which is a bonus for us 🙂 (we adapted plant-based eating lifestyle since October 2016). I have bookmarked yours and Thomas’, your husband’s blog. Thank you again!
Hi Maple, I’m glad to hear you found my blog! I hope you try out the recipe with or without sui mi ya cai. The ingredient is quite special and can be hard to find sometimes (even in China if you’re not in Sichuan). It adds a rich taste to the dish, but the dish will come out delicious even without it. Anyhow, happy cooking and can’t wait to hear your feedback!
Me too! Bonjour from Montreal!
Thanks for sharing the recipe. My first attempt at making Dan Dan noodles. Went well but I used quinoa noodles and it was a little dense. Will it work with rice noodles?
Dan Dan noodle traditionally only uses wheat noodles but I think rice noodles would work with the flavor.
I am currently in England, not my native Canada. So I can’t afford to stock my boyfriends kitchen. But your recipes make me drool…!
Holy crap, this was soooo good!!! I’m so glad my husband is gone for the week so that I get to keep all the leftovers for myself, hahaha! I’m absolutely going to make this again next week.
I made this for Lunar New Year and it was great! I even messed up a bit and put the tofu in at the same time as the mushrooms and it was forgiving enough to not really matter (though I’m sure final texture is better less blended). It was easy to just set some of the sauce aside and not add as much chili and szechuan peppercorn for my kiddo before mixing the larger quantities into the main sauce. I will definitely make again! Now just need ideas for what to do with the left over Sui Mi Ya Cai!
Delicious! I have made this a few times now. All the elements come together so beautifully, and I love the homemade chilli oil as well. It really adds an amazing fragrant sweet and spicy dimension to the dish.
The Vegan Meat topping was AMAZING … so easy and looks & tastes meaty. I used both fresh portabella mushrooms and rehydrated shitake mushrooms. Next time I will add more pecans to mix. I just added in Korean Soybean paste , sesame oil and soy sauce for seasoning. Will make again!!!!
I have made this recipe once a week the past month, I’m obsessed! I also have subbed vegan soy mince in place of the nuts with great results. It really is so flavorful, first time cooking with Chinese black vinegar and it is a good addition to my pantry. Thanks for the inspo!
This was delicious, even though I pulsed the vegan meat topping a little too much. It still “crumbled” nicely after cooking. I like it better than the meat version.