Dan Dan Noodles with Tempeh Scramble
These Chinese-inspired vegan Dan Dan noodles are tossed with a spicy Sichuan sauce and topped with meaty tempeh scramble, roasted peanuts, and fresh scallions. They're incredibly saucy, full of umami, and so satisfying!
Ingredients
Spicy Sichuan Sauce
- 1/3 cup (78 ml) neutral oil
- 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 anise star
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce
- 3 tbsp (45 g) toasted sesame paste
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) white rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp (12 g) sugar
- 1/2 tsp soybean paste (optional)
- 1/4 tsp five-spice powder
- 1 clove of garlic minced
Tempeh Scramble
- 7 ounces (200 g) tempeh
- 2 tbsp of the spicy Sichuan sauce
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp five-spice powder
The Rest
- 8 ounces (225 g) spaghetti or rice noodles
- 2 cups baby spinach (or steamed/sautéed pak choi, green beans, or your greens of choice)
- for topping: roasted peanuts, chopped green onions
Instructions
Spicy Sichuan Sauce
- Heat the oil. In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. After about 1 minute, dip the handle of a wooden spoon or spatula into the oil. If it starts bubbling around the handle, the oil is hot enough.
- Add the aromatics. Remove the oil from the heat and immediately add the red pepper flakes, Sichuan peppercorns, anise star, and bay leaf. Allow the oil to infuse with the aromatics for at least one hour.
- Strain it. Once the oil has infused and cooled completely, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the aromatics.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients. Transfer the chili oil to a small bowl. Stir in the soy sauce, toasted sesame paste, white rice vinegar, sugar, soybean paste (if using), five-spice powder, and minced garlic. Mix to combine and set the sauce aside.
Tempeh Scramble
- Scramble the tempeh. Using your hands, scramble the tempeh into small pieces. You can also use a food processor if you prefer, and pulse a few times until roughly chopped. Transfer the scrambled tempeh to a bowl.
- Marinate it. Then, add two tablespoons of the spicy Sichuan sauce, the sesame oil, soy sauce, and five-spice powder. Toss well to coat the tempeh and let it marinate at least 30 minutes (or overnight in the refrigerator).
Assemble
- Cook the noodles. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the noodles and cook them according to the package instructions or until tender. Reserve about 6 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water before draining the noodles using a colander.
- Sauté the tempeh. While the noodles are cooking, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the marinated tempeh and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Assemble. For each serving bowl (this recipe makes 3 servings), pour about 3 tablespoons of the chili oil sauce. Then pour in 2 tablespoons of the reserved noodle cooking water and stir to combine.Divide the noodles among the three serving bowls and top each with a few tablespoons of the tempeh scramble. Garnish with a handful of roasted peanuts, chopped green onions, and your favorite greens. Toss to coat the noodles with the sauce and enjoy!
- The sauce will keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator, and the tempeh for up to 3 days.
Notes
Allow the oil to infuse.
The longer you let it sit, the spicier the oil. I usually let it sit until it's cool, about 30-45 minutes, but you can let it infuse for 24 hours if you want more complex flavors.Don't discard the noodle cooking water!
Make sure to reserve some of the cooking water before draining the noodles. You will need it to thin out the chili oil sauce. Thanks to its starches, the cooking water helps the sauce coat the noodles much better than plain water would.
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