This Dan Dan Noodle Soup is a flavour explosion in a bowl, healthy (< 300 cal) and you’ll have it on the table in just over 10 minutes. The soup is thicker than the usual clear noodle soups, and the creamy colour is from the sesame paste (or tahini) and chilli paste. Traditionally it is made topped with stir fried pork, but today I’m sharing a meat free version which is my favourite way of making it – it’s faster and healthier. But just as tasty – a truly authentic flavour. A perfect midweek meal!
Another great thing about this recipe is that you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand – and really load it up. Also, here are a few tips for making this recipe:
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A microplane is a handy thing to have in the kitchen for mincing garlic and ginger straight into the pot. If you use a young ginger with soft skin, you don’t even need to peel it. I never use a garlic crusher anymore, and I rarely bother finely chopping garlic, I just use my microplane.
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Undercook the noodles as they will continue to cook in the bowl when you ladle over the hot soup.
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I used rice stick noodles (pictured at the bottom of the post), but you can use any noodles you want.
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Unlike many noodle recipes, the noodles are actually cooked in the soup stock. Partly for the convenience, but also because the starch from the noodles actually thickens to stock which is how it is supposed to be.
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Make it as spicy or mild as you want. The authentic version is really spicy!
These are the noodles I used – rice stick noodles. But this recipe is just as delicious made with egg or flour noodles, dried or fresh, except I wouldn’t recommend using vermicelli noodles as they are too thin for the punchy flavours of this soup.
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Dan Dan Noodle Soup (Vegetarian)
Ingredients
- 400 g dried rice stick noodles (see notes)
Stock
- 4 cups (32 oz/1 litre) vegetable or chicken stock (broth)
- 5 cups water
- 3 large garlic cloves , minced
- 2 tsp minced ginger
- 2 tsp sugar
Stock Sauce
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp cornflour / corn starch
- 2 Tbsp sesame paste or tahini
- 4 tbsp black vinegar (see notes)
- 2 tsp chilli bean sauce (or substitute with another chilli paste or sauce). Adjust to taste!
- 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
Toppings (see notes)
- 2 medium carrots , peeled and sliced diagonally
- 4 bok choy
- 2 cups broccoli florets
Garnish
- 1 1/2 cups bean sprouts
- 1 scallion / shallot , chopped
Instructions
- Combine stock ingredients in a large pot and bring to boil.
- Meanwhile, mix the Stock Sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and cut all the vegetables into bite size pieces.
- Add the Stock Sauce and mix well to dissolve into the soup. Adjust seasoning as required.
- When the stock comes to a boil, place rice stick noodles in the stock, then 1 minute later add the carrots and broccoli, then 1 minute later remove from heat and add the bok choy stems.
- Divide the noodles and vegetables between bowls, top with the bok choy leaves and bean sprouts.
- Ladle soup into bowls over the vegetables and noodles, and garnish with spring onions.
- Optional: finish with chilli oil and more chilli paste - if you can handle the heat!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Would it be possible to substitute powdered ginger for fresh? What sort of ratio would that be?
Hi Sarah! I’m sorry that won’t be the same in this one, but if you really wanted to, then I would use 3.4 tsp 🙂
Hi Nagi, I know this is a vegetarian recipe but would you have any idea how to cook chicken with it? Do you think that i’d be able to poach some chicken breast in the stock in the initial steps? If so, how would you recommend I do it/how long do you think i’d need to poach this chicken breast if I cut the breast into pieces?
Thank you! Can’t wait to try this tonight 🙂
I plan to make this on the weekend. Looks yummy. But I have a question. Why is it called dan dan noodle? When I am in Nova Scotia I go to a restaurant called Asian Kitchen as often as I can and order dan dan noodles every time. I’m addicted to it! It’s noodles (made in restaurant fresh) wth ground pork and ground peanuts and spicy. Have searched every where in Ottawa for a similar dish. Nope. I assume it may be unique to that chef/restaurant. But why the name dan dan?🧐
I actually have no idea!!
Stumbled across this today and made it tonight. So delicious and flavourful, thanks for sharing this amazing recipe.
I didn’t have black rice vinegar, so used white wine vinegar instead and it tasted sensational! I also left out the chilli else the kids wouldn’t eat it…
Wow! I love hearing that Adrian – so glad you enjoyed this! N xx
Hi Nagi,
Happy New Year! I definitely plan on making this wonderful soup. I was wondering, do you have a recipe Tom Ka Soup that’s been Nagi’ized? I love your recipes especially the notes! Thank you ever so much for your blog. I have so many of your meals in my rotation. You are amazing!!!!
Lots of love from Northern California,
=Annie=
Gosh I don’t have one actually! But I just added it to my list 🙂 I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes Annie, thanks for taking the time to message me! N xx
I made this for the first time a week ago. It is best immediately! ! Although friends the next day raved about it too. I loved it so much and is so easy and uses stuff I always have, I have made it 3 times this week!!!
I have noticed it absorbs the juice very quickly. I tried doubling the broth and sauce mixture. It didn’t help the issue. By the time we get done eating there was hardly any juice to separate from the noodles and veggis. When I reheated it, I made another recipe of broth snd sauce mix…brought to boil, removed from heat, added noodles and veggis and served immediately. It didn’t have the flavor as first day and still absorbed most of the juice. I don’t know why this is happening or what to do about it.
I also served it with lime wedges and sweet chili sauce drizzled on top and was fantastic! !
Absolutely love all the different flavor sensation explosions. It is incredible! !
Hi Melissa, so glad you enjoyed this!The noodles will absorb the liquid so just add more broth or water 🙂 N x
I added 3 Tbsp white miso to the broth, and 2 blocks of tofu that I pan-fried in a bit of canola oil to make this a meal (instead of a side-dish), and I absolutely loved it! I gave it 4 stars for the lack of protein, but adding tofu made up for that :). Thank you for a great vegan recipe–would love to see more vegan recipes on your site!
Wow Kia! I love the additions to you made to it, thank you for sharing! 🙂
My stock sauce curdled for some reason so I had chunks of tahini floating in a watery soup 🙁 How do I fix this for the next time I make it? It was delicious deposits this mishap!
I am a soup junkie plus I’m vege plus I am fasting today so was looking for a low cal recipe. This ticks every box and then some – can’t wait to try it 🙂
Oooh! I do hope you do try it, the soup broth of this is a ripper!! 🙂 N x
Only thing I don’t want is so much salt. Is it from the soy sauce? There is low sodium soy sauce, I know. Is there another sodium source in this? Didn’t find one. Did I miss something?
All the veggies are terrific!
Hi Nancy! I think the nutrition calculator makes an assumption about the chicken broth sodium. If you use low sodium broth and soy sauce then it will be low salt! 🙂
The noodle soup looks great! But the sodium amount is alarming, i wouldn’t consider it a healthy meal!
This recipe was not classed as a healthy meal. Salt is not harmful, it deoends how it is used. I personally LOVE salt and will be making this dish very soon. It looks amazing. It actually states in the blurb that it is a salty dish. 🙂 So dont make it, we will. Thanks Nagi for an awesome looking dish I cant wait to make!
Oooh, hope you do try it Angela!!!
This soup was so good!! This is a must try vegetarian soup. Even the teenage boys loved it- vegetables and all. That says a LOT. It tastes like a healthy, glorified version of ramen noodles. This was a hit. Thank you for such a delicious recipe.
I’m SO GLAD you enjoyed it Grace!!!! Thank you for letting me know!!
I absolutely loved this recipe, it satisfied my soul. I’m going to make this again and again and again. I was a bit cautious about the chilli paste but the more the better I say. It was delicious. Thank you.
I absolutely loved this recipe, its the first brothy soup I’ve made that had the flavour I was craving. I’m going to make this again and again and again. I
Hi Kath! I totally know what you mean 🙂 I used to think Asian soups just required stock + soy, but it’s so much more than that! I’m so glad you enjoyed this. Dan Dan noodles soup is one of my all time favorites because I LOVE big flavours! 🙂
So good, and so easy to make. Served with vegetarian spring rolls and coleslaw with mint and peanuts, for a delicious and healthy meal. Thanks so much!
Oooh, fantastic! I am SO GLAD you enjoyed this!! I really love it, it’s such a strong flavoured soup which is my favourite kind 🙂 Thanks for coming back to share your feedback!
I believe there is too much soya suace and black vinegar. The broth turned an unslightly blackish brown color. 2 tbsp sesame paste didn’t help at all to get the color of the picture on the website.
I think somewhere the flavors are missing. Definitely use half the required quantity of soy sauce and black vinegar. It’s healthy also and will look much more appealing
I agree, I think it might possibly meant to be teaspoons of soy sauce/vinegar, not tablespoons?
Thank you! 🙂
You are more than welcome Sara!! 🙂
🙂 I usually attempt pho or sometimes ramen and I’m vegetarian so usually they’re a bit lacking in flavor/consistency. I’m on my third meal of this and it’s delish!
I can understand that 🙂 The flavour of both Pho and Ramen really comes from the stock which is made from meat. A great vegetarian Asian soup base is to use vegetable stock, soy sauce, Chinese Cooking wine, plenty of ginger and garlic. Simmer for 5 minutes to bring the flavours out, add a dash of sesame oil (if you want) and adjust saltiness to your taste. Reduce down a bit if you want a stronger flavour. Then add noodles, vegetables, tofu etc to your taste!
I just made this and it is absolutely delicious! Thank you so so much! For the first time I’ve made an Asian inspired noodle soup at home that was actually worth eating. Beyond fantastic. Yum!!!!
Thanks Sara!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It is quite different to the usual Chinese soups, so maybe that’s why you liked it!! 🙂
This turned out fantastic! We ended up with 8 “bowls” which worked out well for DH and I. Definitely will be a repeat for us- so filling and healthy!
I am so glad!! It really is amazing how much flavour you can make in a noodle dish that is so healthy, isn’t it?! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
This looks super tasty – I don’t think I could stop at one bowl!!
I absolutely promise you it is! I literally had it for dinner a few hours ago – and I slurped down every drop of that soup! Thank you for dropping by – I’ve just come back from browsing your blog – keen to try your chocolate chunk cookies!