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Dan Dan-Style Noodles
with tofu / mushrooms / mustard greens

Active: 40 min Total: 40 min
This noodle bowl is inspired by a popular street food from the Szechuan region of China. It is traditionally extremely spicy, but our version is savory with a medium kick of spice. Use more or less chili garlic sauce to fit your spice preferences.
Smarts: The versatile sauce on this dish has a slight nutty flavor that comes from Tahini (a sesame paste usually used in Mediterranean cooking) or from any number of other substitutes listed below - Chinese sesame paste, Chinese black bean paste or peanut butter. Feel free to skip it if you don't have any of these on hand.
Proteins
Cuisines

Ingredients

Metric
Servings:
4
Spicy (or not) Dan Dan Noodle Sauce:
  • Garlic - 4 cloves , chopped
  • Stock, any low-sodium variety - 1/2 cup (sub water)
  • Soy sauce, low-sodium - 1/4 cup
  • Cornstarch - 1 Tbsp
  • Brown sugar - 1 Tbsp
  • Vinegar, rice - 2 Tbsp
  • Oil, toasted sesame - 2 Tbsp
  • Tahini - 2 tsp (opt; sub Chinese sesame paste, black bean paste, or peanut butter)
  • Chili garlic sauce - 2 tsp , more or less to taste (sub any hot sauce)
Dan Dan-Style Noodles with Tofu and Mushrooms:
  • Tofu, extra-firm - 16 oz (vacuum-packed preferable)
  • Peanuts - 1/4 cup , chopped
  • Mustard greens - 8 oz , chopped into 1” / 2.5cm pieces (sub chard, baby bok choy, or broccoli florets)
  • Green onions - 3 , chopped, green and white parts combined
  • Mushrooms, any brown - 8 oz (like button or shiitake)
  • Chinese egg noodles, fresh or frozen - 6 oz (sub linguini or spaghetti)
  • Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp

Prep

  1. Tofu - If tofu is packaged in water, press out liquid. (Can be done up 1 day ahead)
  2. Garlic / Peanuts / Mustard greens - Prep as directed. Store separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
  3. Make sauce - Combine garlic, stock, soy sauce, cornstarch, brown sugar, vinegar, toasted sesame oil and tahini. Add chili garlic sauce (the amount listed will make a fairly spicy sauce, so reduce if you prefer less heat or add more if you want it super spicy). (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
  4. Green onions - Chop green and white parts of onions and combine. (Can be done up to 2 days ahead)
  5. Chop tofu and mushrooms - Finely dice tofu and mushrooms or combine them in a food processor and pulse until chopped. Make sure to just pulse or it may result in a paste. (Can be done 1 day ahead)

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Make

  1. Boil noodles according to package directions. Drain.
  2. Meanwhile, heat a wok or skillet with cooking oil over medium-high heat. Add mustard greens and saute until bright green and tender. (If using broccoli florets or baby bok choy, add a splash of water and cover with a lid or plate. Steam vegetables until tender, ~4 minutes.) Season with a pinch of salt. Set greens aside and return wok to heat.
  3. Add second part of cooking oil to heated wok and then tofu and mushrooms. Saute until moisture from the mushrooms has cooked off and tofu / mushrooms are starting to brown on the bottom of the pan, 5 to 7 minutes. Give sauce a stir and add it to the pan. Simmer until sauce has thickened slightly.
  4. Divide mushrooms and tofu / sauce between serving bowls. Top with noodles, greens, green onions and peanuts. (The noodles are served on top of the sauce in this dish so you can combine them as you eat.)
  5. Let everyone use chopsticks to toss everything in their bowl together at the table. Add some extra red pepper flakes or some hot sauce if you’d like more heat. Enjoy!

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