Sour-Spicy Glass Noodles

Suan La Fen (酸辣粉)

Glass noodles rest in a hot and sour soup made from broth, chili oil, and black vinegar – the deliciously tender strands topped with peanuts, cilantro, and a flavorful minced pork sauce.

Sour-Spicy Glass Noodles are a famous Chongqing specialty, packed with sour-spicy (香辣) and aromatic-umami flavors (鲜香). The flavors can be quite powerful, but mouthwateringly delicious. Chili Oil and Ground Sichuan Pepper provide the heat while Chinkiang Black Vinegar augments the sour. Garlic, Scallion, and Cilantro add the aromatic flavors as a base of Sauces and Seasonings erupt with umami.

Sour-Spicy Glass Noodles have innumerable variations with each noodle shop utilizing their own unique combination of Toppings and Sauces / Seasonings. For instance, some restaurants will use minced Garlic instead of a Garlic Slurry. Other restaurants will use Seasoned Chinkiang Black Vinegar instead of Seasoned Soy Sauce. (Seasoned Black Vinegar is made like Seasoned Soy Sauce, simply by replacing the Soy Sauce for Vinegar. Adding 1/4 tsp. of a good Chinese Five-Spice Powder to 2 Tbsp. of Chinkiang Black Vinegar will offer roughly the same flavor). Some restaurants will add fresh Red Chilies, fresh Long Green Chilies (二荆条), and even Pickled Chilies to enhance or tweak the spiciness. Others will add a spoonful of Yibin Yacai to increase the salty-umami flavors. Finally, restaurants will occasionally combine the Glass Noodles with Bean Sprouts or top the Noodles with blanched Leafy Greens to make the dish more filling.

Glass Noodles (粉条) are translated multiple ways in English, which can make it rather confusing when wanting to purchase them. These include Glass Noodles, Cellophane Noodles, Starch Noodles, Powder Sticks, and Chinese Vermicelli. Essentially, Glass Noodles are just Noodles made from Starch – most often Sweet Potato Starch (红薯粉). The Starch Noodles become semi-translucent when cooked, hence the English name Glass Noodles. This is all simple enough; however, among Glass Noodles there are various thickness, shapes, and textures. The Glass Noodles preferred for this Noodle Dish tend to be rather thick, though any type of Glass Noodle would be acceptable. Aside from Glass Noodles, you could also make Sour-Spicy Noodles (酸辣面) or Sour-Spicy Rice Noodles (酸辣米线) by simply substituting regular Noodles or Rice Noodles (米粉) within the following recipe.

For a list of common Noodle Toppings as well as a more indepth guide to Soup Noodle Dishes, check out the following link: The Ultimate Guide to Soup Noodles and Noodle Toppings.

Prep Time: 5 min.

Cook Time: 15 min.

Total Time: 20 min.

Serving: 2 people

Ingredients

Noodles (150 – 200 grams Per Bowl)
300 – 400 grams of thick Glass Noodles (红薯粉条)

Toppings (1/2 of Each Per Bowl)
1 – 2 green stalks of Small Scallion (小葱)
1 small bunch of Cilantro
4 Tbsp. Chongqing Pickle Strips (榨菜丝)
4 Tbsp. Pickled Yard-long Beans (泡豇豆)
4 Tbsp. Crispy Fried Edamame (油酥黄豆; Optional)
4 Tbsp. Crispy Fried Peanuts (油酥花生; OR Roasted Peanuts)
2 tsp. Sesame Seeds

Sauces and Seasonings (Per Bowl)
2 Tbsp. Chili Oil with Chili Flakes
2 Tbsp. Chinkiang Black Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Seasoned Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp. Garlic Slurry
1/2 tsp. Green Sichuan Pepper Powder
1/2 tsp. MSG
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Chicken Bouillon Powder

Meat Sauce (3 Tbsp. Per Bowl)
6 Tbsp. Minced Pork Sauce (臊子) OR Mixed Sauce (杂酱)

Broth (2 cups Per Bowl)
2 cups of Advanced Stock

Directions

1.) Place the Glass Noodles in a large pot or long baking pan in which they can be completely submerged in water. Fill the pot with hot or preferably boiling water and allow the Noodles to soak for about 45 minutes.

(This step will depend on the type and thickness of the Glass Noodles. The Chongqing Glass Noodles used for Sour-Spicy Glass Noodles are generally rather thick and require either a long soaking time or a long boiling time unless they are made fresh. Thin Glass Noodles like those used for Stir-Fried Glass Noodle Dishes tend to be thinner. These simply need to be boiled for roughly 10 minutes).

2.) Prepare all of the Toppings, setting them in separate piles on a plate:

• Finely slice the Small Scallions or cut them into 1/4-inch pieces.
• Roughly chop the Cilantro.
• Set the Chongqing Pickle Strips on the plate.
• Cut the the Pickled Yard-Long Beans into 1/4-inch pieces, if necessary, and set them on the plate.
• Prepare the Crispy-Fried Edamame and set them on the plate.
• Prepare the Crispy-Fried Peanuts and set them on the plate.
• Add the Sesame Seeds to the plate or add them to the noodle bowls.

3.) Add all of the Sauces and Seasonings (Chili Oil, Vinegar, Soy Sauce, Garlic Slurry, Sichuan Pepper, MSG, Salt, and Chicken Bouillon) to each noodle bowl.

(The Sauces and Seasonings do not need to be mixed together because the Seasonings will dissolve quickly once the hot Broth is added).

4.) Pour the Meat Sauce into a small pot and the Broth into a larger pot. Heat the Meat Sauce on low until hot and the Broth on high until boiling. Reduce the heat of the Broth and keep it at a low simmer.

(The small pot with the Meat Sauce can be removed from the burner if using a two-burner range, which are the most common type in China. Most western stovetops have four burners, so ideally, the Meat Sauce can be kept warm and the Broth kept hot while the Glass Noodles are being prepared).

5.) Fill a large pot with around 3 Liters of water and bring the water to a boil. Boil one serving of the Glass Noodles for about 10 – 15 minutes until translucent and extremely tender.

6.) Remove the Glass Noodles with a strainer, add them directly to one of the serving bowls, and then immediately add the other serving of Glass Noodles to the boiling water.

7.) While the other serving of Glass Noodles is cooking, pour the hot Broth around the sides of the Noodles in the serving bowl. Add half the amount of each Topping to this bowl of Glass Noodles, arranging them in a ring around the edge of the Noodles. Finally, add a few heaping spoonfuls of the Meat Sauce in the center of this ring of Toppings.

8.) Add the other serving of Glass Noodles to the other noodle bowl. Pour in the Broth, add all of the Toppings, and spoon on the Meat Sauce. Serve both bowls of Sour-Spicy Glass Noodles immediately along with chopsticks and Chinese soup spoons. Mix the Noodles thoroughly and enjoy.

 

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