These vegan dan dan noodles taste like they came from your favorite Chinese restaurant, but they're actually really easy to make at home! Made with spiced pan-fried tofu, slurpable noodles, crunchy peanuts, and fresh spinach in a luscious spicy sesame sauce, you'll want to make this irresistible dish again and again.
I was lucky enough earlier this year to find a restaurant that served vegan dan dan noodles, something I'd been wanting to try for years! I've never had traditional dan dan noodles, so I had no idea what to expect, but let me tell you, these noodles were mind-blowing delicious. My first order of business after that meal was to reverse engineer it, and second was to share it with you all!
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Dan dan noodles is a Sichuan dish involving noodles, a creamy sesame sauce, peanuts, greens, and ground meat. They're packed with deliciousness — spicy, just like my chili garlic noodles, but also rich and satisfying, like my sesame peanut noodles and my tahini noodles. In my veganized version of the dish, we're replacing the meat with finely diced tofu.
There's so much going on in this dish, but I promise you, it's actually really easy to throw together. The recipe calls for a few ingredients that might require tracking down at an Asian market, but most of them can be substituted with stuff you can get at a regular supermarket.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Fresh noodles. Asian markets generally carry fresh noodles in the refrigerated section. Check the ingredients for things like eggs, but there should be plenty of vegan options. If you want an easy alternative, swap these out with dried noodles from the regular grocery store, like ramen noodles or spaghetti.
- Fresh spinach. Dan dan noodles usually involve some type of green. I've used spinach in this recipe, since it's one of the easiest greens to get ahold of, but feel free to swap it out with bok choy or choy sum if you'd like.
- Chili oil. We're using store-bought chili oil, to make life easy! I've linked to a brand that I like in the recipe card. It's relatively mild, but since the recipe uses a full quarter cup, the dish will still turn out spicy. Feel free to reduce the amount if you'd like, but know that the dish is meant to be spicy and will pack some heat no matter what. If you'd prefer something milder, try my hoisin noodles or vegan lo mein.
- Chinese sesame paste. This type of sesame paste is similar to tahini, but has a nuttier flavor. You can get it at an Asian market, or just substitute with tahini, peanut butter, or a mix of the two.
- Soy sauce. Tamari or liquid aminos can be substituted.
- Brown sugar. Use organic brown sugar. Conventional brown sugar may have been processed using animal bone char, so it might not be vegan.
- Garlic.
- Sichuan peppercorns. These will be available in the international aisle of a well-stocked supermarket. If yours doesn't carry them, head to the Asian market, or order them online. You'll find a link in the recipe card. Substitute regular black peppercorns if you must, but know that you will be missing out on flavor.
- Chinese five spice. This flavorful spice blend includes star anise, cinnamon, fennel seeds, cloves, and Sichuan peppercorns. Most stores sell it in the spice aisle.
- Tofu. We're using super-firm tofu, because it's really easy to work with. Extra-firm tofu can be substituted, but you'll need to press it before cooking.
- Hoisin sauce. Most grocery stores carry this in the international aisle.
- Peanut oil. You can replace this with any other neutral high heat oil you like to cook with, such as vegetable oil, corn oil, or canola oil.
- Peanuts. Use roasted and salted peanuts for the best flavor!
- Scallions. You might also know these as green onions.
How They're Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Start out by boiling your noodles. Refer to the package directions. About thirty seconds before they're done, add the spinach. Boil it briefly with the noodles, just to blanch it, then drain the spinach and noodles together.
Make your dan dan noodle sauce by mixing the chili oil, some hot water, sesame paste, soy sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, ground Sichuan peppercorns, and Chinese five spice together.
To prepare your tofu, cut it into tiny little cubes. You want them to be ¼ inch or smaller. You can't really go too small here, so go crazy if you want!
Now mix your tofu seasoning sauce. This includes soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and some Chinese five spice.
Heat some oil in a skillet, then add the minced tofu. Cook it for a few minutes, until browned, flipping the pieces at least once.
Pour the seasoning sauce over the tofu. Give it a stir and get the tofu evenly coated in sauce.
Cook the tofu in the sauce briefly, just until most of the liquid dries up.
To assemble the dish, first divide the sauce among bowls, followed by the noodles and spinach, then tofu. Top each bowl with some peanuts and scallions.
Time to face plant!
Leftovers & Reheating
Store any leftover dan dan noodles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. They can be reheated in a hot skillet over medium heat. Alternatively, place them in a microwave-safe container, cover them with a damp paper towel, and microwave them in one minute increments, stirring in between.
You may find that the sauce has dried a bit during storage. If this is the case, add a splash or two of water when you reheat them.
Frequently Asked Questions
It can! Use rice noodles or 100% buckwheat soba noodles. Since you'll be using dried noodles, reduce the amount to ten ounces. You'll also need to replace the soy sauce with gluten-free tamari.
Dan dan noodles are generally pretty hot. You can control the amount of heat by adjusting the amount of chili oil.
Possibly! You could try skipping the chili oil and using a chili paste such as sambal oelek instead. You'll want to reduce the amount if you do this, as chili paste is often hotter than chili oil. You may also need to add some extra water to thin the sauce. Cook your tofu without oil, using a skillet with a very good nonstick surface.
What to Serve with Dan Dan Noodles
This recipe makes four very satisfying servings, but if you really want a feast, try pairing them up with one of these accompaniments:
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Dan Dan Noodles
Ingredients
- 16 ounces fresh noodles (Note 1)
- 6 ounces fresh spinach
For the Sauce
- ¼ cup chili oil (Note 2)
- ¼ cup hot water
- 3 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste (Note 3)
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon organic brown sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, ground using a mortar and pestle or pepper grinder
- ½ teaspoon Chinese five spice
For the Tofu
- 8 ounces super-firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- ½ teaspoon Chinese five spice
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
For Serving
- ¼ cup roasted and salted peanuts, chopped
- 2 scallions, chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook them according to the package directions. When they have about 30 seconds of cook time left, add the spinach. Boil the spinach with the noodles, then drain the spinach and noodles together into a colander.
- While the noodles boil, stir the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Give it a taste-test and adjust any seasonings to your liking. If the sauce seems very thick, add a bit of additional hot water.
- Finely dice the tofu, cutting it into ¼-inch or slightly smaller cubes.
- Mix tofu seasoning sauce tofu by combining the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and Chinese five spice in a small bowl.
- Coat the bottom of a medium nonstick skillet with the peanut oil and place it over medium heat. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the diced tofu in a single layer. Cook the tofu for about 8 minutes, flipping the pieces once or twice to get them browned on multiple sides.
- Drizzle the tofu seasoning sauce over the tofu and stir it up to coat the tofu pieces evenly with the sauce. Cook the tofu for about a minute longer, just until most of the liquid dries up. Remove the tofu from the skillet and transfer it to a plate.
- To serve, divide the sauce among four bowls, the divide the noodles up and place them over the sauce. Stir the noodles to coat them in the sauce, then top each bowl with the tofu, followed by peanuts and scallions.
- Serve.
Notes
- Fresh noodles are available at Asian markets. Check the ingredients to ensure that they're vegan before buying. If they're not available, substitute ramen noodles or spaghetti. Reduce the amount to ten ounces if using dried noodles.
- You can use less chili oil to reduce the heat level of this dish, but it will be spicy no matter what. Start with two tablespoons of chili oil. The brand I've linked to in the recipe is relatively mild, but the dish still packs quite a bit of heat if using the full quarter cup listed under the ingredients section.
- Tahini paste and/or natural peanut butter can be substituted. A mix of both will give you a flavor closest to that of Chinese sesame paste.
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Sooo gooood! And my picky daughter agrees😁I have never had Dan Dan noodles before, so have no point of reference, but I do a lot of Asian foods with tofu, and I had almost all ingredients on hand, so that says something about my experience with different foods and flavors. I have never liked Chinese 5-spice in stir fries, but it works really well with the other ingredients in this recipe. I had to make my own 5-spice tonight, which made the recipe a bit harder-time consuming but TOTALLY worth it, and probably better for using fresh ground cloves, anise, fennel and peppercorns. I wish I had followed the recipe and made at least one of the sauces before cooking the tofu and noodles. I am excited to recommend this recipe to everyone!
Loved this. Enjoyed using 5 spice and Szechuan peppercorns. Had to use up sone veggies, so added orange bell pepper, snow peas, and asparagus. Yum! You are right about making it repeatedly. Many thanks.
The whole family loved these noodles and tofu! Thanks so much!