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vegan dan dan noodles in a white bowl, more homemade chilli oil to the left ready to drizzle over

Vegan Dan Dan Noodles

Robyn
Udon noodles, a salty-spicy peanut sauce, and spiced mushrooms all drizzled with chilli oil – optional for younger family members – make this easy and comforting vegan version of a Sichuan classic street food, dan dan noodles.
5 from 7 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course dinner
Cuisine Asian, Chinese, sichuan
Servings 2 people
Calories 566 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil such as vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon chilli flakes (heaped teaspoon)
  • 180-200 g udon noodles
  • ½ tablespoon neutral oil
  • 200 g mushrooms sliced
  • 2 cm fresh ginger grated
  • 2 spring onions finely sliced, whites for cooking and green parts for garnish
  • small pinch cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon Chinese five spice
  • 1 teaspoon capers roughly chopped, optional
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • ½ tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

Peanut Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • ½ tablespoon chilli oil
  • 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
  • 3-4 tablespoons noodle cooking water (helps to thicken the sauce)

Instructions
 

To make the chilli oil:

  • Put the chilli flakes and oil in a small saucepan over a low heat.
  • Heat for 30 seconds - you want them to warm in the oil, not sizzle.
  • Take off the heat and leave to infuse whilst you cook the rest of the dish.
  • Cook the noodles according to packet instructions. Whilst they are boiling, cook the mushrooms.

Mushrooms:

  • Put ½ tablespoon oil in frying pan and heat over high heat. Once hot add the mushrooms and cook over high heat until golden. Don’t stir too often - this will help them go brown.
  • When the mushrooms start turning a deep golden brown, add the grated ginger and whites of the spring onions. Cook for a minute.
  • Turn the heat down and add a pinch of cloves, Chinese five spice, capers, sesame oil, soy and vinegar. Stir to coat the mushrooms and cook for a minute or so until the liquid has evaporated.

Peanut Sauce:

  • Mix the peanut butter with the soy sauce, chilli oil, rice wine vinegar and 3 tablespoons of the water the noodles have been cooked in. If too thick add a little extra water. (You want it to be thick but be able to pour it off a spoon.)
  • Note: When you first mix the peanut butter with the soy sauce it will look grainy and thick, don’t worry it will thin, just keep whisking.
  • Drain the noodles.
  • Divide the sauce between 2-3 bowls, top with noodles, then the mushrooms.
  • Sprinkle over the green parts of the onion.
  • Serve straight away, with chilli oil at the table so the family can help themselves.
  • To eat, mix the noodles, mushrooms and sauce together. Yum!
  • Leaftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Notes

Udon noodles – I personally love using these thick Japanese wheat noodles, but you can use any medium thickness noodles you like.
Mushrooms – Regular white button mushrooms are in place of the traditional pork topping. You can use any type of mushroom you like: roughly chopped portobello, cremini mushrooms, fried oyster mushrooms.
Chinese 5 spice – this common and easy to find spice blend replaces Sichuan peppercorns.
Spring onions – scallions, green onions.
Capers – I use sharp salty capers in vinegar in place of Chinese pickles used in the traditional authentic Dan Dan noodles. They are optional.
Peanut butter – This is in place of Chinese sesame paste. Use unsweetened natural peanut butter. Sweetened peanut butter would be too sweet and would ruin the taste! I like to use smooth peanut butter, but you can use crunchy if you prefer.
Soy sauce – light soy sauce.
Chilli flakes – red pepper flakes, dried chilli flakes.
Oil – any neutral oil, such as vegetable oil.
Rice wine vinegar – provides a gentle sharpness. You can substitute with white wine vinegar.
When making the chilli oil, do not cook the chilli flakes over too high a heat. They can burn very easily. If the chilli flakes start to sizzle in the oil, they will burn and you will have to start the chilli oil again.
The recipe makes enough for 2 adults and a toddler, but you can easily double it.
Remember to keep some of the noodle cooking water – this helps to thicken the peanut sauce and give it a glossy sheen.
If you don’t have any noodles, this recipe also works well with spaghetti or linguine.

Nutrition

Calories: 566kcalCarbohydrates: 71gProtein: 25gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 3188mgPotassium: 551mgFiber: 8gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 416IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 2mg
Keyword chinese 5 spice, easy chilli oil, mushrooms, udon noodles, vegan spicy noodles

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