Sharing a signature Sichuan dish Suan La Fen - a bowl of hot and sour noodle soup that features tender springy potato noodles smothered in a rich and savory broth. It’s quite easy to put together and addictive to eat! {Vegetarian / Vegan Adaptable, Gluten-Free Adaptable}To make the dish gluten-free, use dry sherry instead of Shaoxing wine. Use tamari to replace light and dark soy sauce.
Pickled mustard tube(or other Chinese pickles) (Optional)
Instructions
Prepare the meat toppings
Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the pork and spread it out. Let cook until the bottom is browned. Break apart the pork and flip to cook the other side until just cooked through.
Pour in the Shaoxing wine, soy sauce and add the Sui Mi Ya Cai, if using. Stir and cook until the sauce is fully absorbed and mixed well. Transfer the pork to a plate and set aside.
Make the broth
Divide all the ingredients evenly (except the chicken broth) and add them into two medium-sized bowls. Or add everything into one big bowl. (*Footnote 2)
Add the chicken broth to a small saucepan and bring to a full boil over medium-high heat. When the broth comes to a boil, turn to low heat to keep the broth hot.
Prepare the noodles
While heating up the broth, prepare the noodles according to the package instructions. Boil the noodles until al dente, then rinse a few times with cold tap water to stop cooking. Drain and set aside.
Assemble
When everything is ready and you’re ready to serve, pour 1 cup of the broth into each bowl with all the broth ingredients.
Divide and transfer the noodles into the bowls with the broth. Add the pork topping if using. Garnish with roasted peanuts, chopped cilantro or green onions, and pickled mustard tube. Serve hot.
Notes
Sui Mi Ya Cai is chopped pickled mustard greens that have a fermented savory sweet taste. It’s a main ingredient in Dan Dan noodles. If you have some on hand, use it in this recipe to add flavor. It’s totally OK to skip it here.
Traditionally, the noodle soup is prepared by adding each ingredient / seasoning to each bowl, then pouring the hot soup over, so each bowl is properly seasoned. If dividing the measurements is too confusing, hover your cursor over the serving number and adjust the slider to 1 serving. This way you get the proper amount of seasoning used in each bowl. If you prefer a large bowl of noodle soup, you can also make two servings in one big bowl.
If you want to make this dish vegetarian / vegan, you can use boiling water, or boiling water with whatever bouillon you prefer. My personal favorites are Lee Kum Kee mushroom powder and Better than Bouillon Mushroom Base. Both are very savory and less sweet than most Western-style vegetable broths / bouillons.
You can use packaged roasted peanuts directly. It helps a lot if you gently heat up the peanuts in a pan or in the oven so they crisp up a bit more. If using skin-on raw peanuts, soak the peanuts in water for 5 minutes, then drain and pat dry. Add the peanuts and 1 tablespoon peanut oil into a skillet. Heat over medium-low heat and stir constantly until the peanuts no longer make sparkling sounds and the skin has turned darker. Pour in 1 teaspoon of Shaoxing wine and mix a few times so the wine evaporates. Transfer the peanuts to a plate to drain and cool off.