Dan Dan Noodles

4.20 from 10 votes

A rich peanut sauce, blanched fresh vegetables, crispy minced pork, and plenty of slurp-able noodles garnished with scallions and peanuts.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: noodles

Servings: people

Calories: 689kcal

Author: Tricia

Ingredients

8 baby bok choy, halved lengthways
9 ounces dried Asian Udon noodles
1 ½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil

For the pork:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 ounces ground pork
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon chili oil
¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
¼ cup smooth peanut butter *
1 tablespoon chili paste, like Sambal Oelek
1 (14.5-ounce) can low sodium chicken broth
pinch of granulated sugar

To serve:

4 scallions, thinly sliced
½ cup peanuts, rough chopped
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, toasted in a small dry skillet until fragrant, then ground

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and the bok choy. Cover and cook 3-5 minutes or until just blanched. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain. Set aside.
Add the udon noodles to the same pot of boiling water and cook according to package directions. Drain well. Return the noodles to the now empty pot and toss with sesame oil. Cover and set aside.
Heat a large wok or skillet over medium high heat. Add the vegetable oil and the ground pork. Cook the pork until well browned, breaking up any chunks as you go with a wooden spoon. Add the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the hoisin and soy sauce. Cook for about 2 minutes more. Remove the pork to a bowl, cover to keep warm.
In the now empty skillet add the chili oil, soy sauce, peanut butter and chili paste. Cook for a few minutes to combine then gradually start adding the chicken broth stirring constantly. Keep adding the chicken broth until you reach your preferred consistency*. Add a pinch of sugar and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer to meld the flavors, about 5 minutes more. Stir occasionally.
Divide the sauce between four large bowls. Add ¼ of the noddles to each bowl, then top with a portion of the pork and bok choy. Garnish with chopped peanuts and sliced scallions. Sprinkle with ground Sichuan peppercorns. Serve immediately.

Notes

* If you prefer a thicker sauce, use less chicken broth. If you want a slurp-able noodle bowl, use all the broth.

You may substitute part of the peanut butter with sesame paste or tahini If preferred.
Don't love bok choy? Substitute snow peas, broccoli or regular cabbage - it's all good.
Instead of blanching, add the bok choy to the pork when it's almost done. Sauté or stir fry until the bok choy is crisp tender.
Leftovers keep well for several days. The sauce will soak into the noodles so if you prefer more liquid, loosen the dish with a little chicken broth and rewarm gently in the microwave.
OPTIONAL: For extra heat, add 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes with the garlic and ginger.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition