Vegetarian Dan Dan Noodles

A vegetarian plate featuring dan dan noodles and broccoli.

4.82 from 11 votes

Tender noodles are tossed in a savory sesame sauce and topped with tofu and shiitake mushrooms. The dish is fiery, filling, and fantastically addictive.

Course Main Dish Recipes

Cuisine Chinese

Keyword vegetarian dan dan noodles

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 614kcal

Author Robin Donovan

Ingredients

For the topping
1 14-ounce package extra-firm tofu
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 shallots thinly sliced (or red onion)
4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
12 ounces shiitake mushrooms finely chopped (or button or cremini mushrooms)
2 tablespoons minced ginger
2 scallions thinly sliced
2 tablespoons Chinese salted black beans rinsed and chopped (optional)
1/3 cup preserved mustard greens or chopped kimchi
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry or dry white wine
1 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce
For the sauce
¼ cup Chinese or Japanese sesame paste or no-sugar-added peanut butter + 1 tablespoon sesame oil
¼ cup lower-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey or substitute coconut sugar for vegan
2 scallions sliced
1 to 2 tablespoons homemade or store-bought chili oil or more to taste
For the noodles and serving
16 ounces fresh Chinese wheat noodles or spaghetti or linguine
2 scallions thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped dry-roasted unsalted peanuts

Instructions

Remove the tofu from the package, pouring off
the water from the package. Wrap the tofu in a clean
dish towel and set it on a plate. Place another plate or a baking dish on top and add cans or other heavy items to weight it down. Let stand for 30 to 45 minutes to press out excess water.
Make the sauce by whisking together the sesame paste, soy sauce, vinegar, and honey until well combined. Stir in the scallion and add the chile oil a little at a time until you achieve your desired level of spice.
To cook the topping, heat the cooking oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Reduce the heat to medium low, add the shallots and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the
mushrooms have released their liquid and turn golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Crumble the tofu and add it to the pan and cook, stirring
occasionally, until the tofu begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ginger, scallion, black beans, preserved mustard greens, wine, and soy sauce and cook, stirring, until the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes more.
While the tofu is cooking, cook the noodles according to the package instructions (usually about 3 minutes in boiling water for fresh noodles). Drain.
To serve, place a serving of noodles in a serving bowl and spoon some of the sauce over them. Toss to coat the noodles well and then top with some of the tofu topping. Garnish with scallions and chopped peanuts. Serve immediately.

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