Bean Sauce Noodles

Last Updated January 5, 2022
7 ingredients, 15 minutes

Rich in flavor but definitely not heavy, the easy-to-make and mouth-watering bean sauce noodles is a staple throughout North China.

The traditional bean paste noodles consist of wheat noodles in a meat sauce seasoned with fermented bean paste, and sometimes topped with extra thinly sliced raw vegetables such as cucumber and bean sprouts etc. Here I share a simple version which cooks the meat and the vegetables together at once. There is nothing stops you from topping the noodles with more vegetables for a fancier version!

SOY BEAN SAUCE NOODLES

(炸酱面）

MAKE 4 servings PREP: 5 min COOKING: 15 min

Ingredients

• 200g Pork mince
• 4 large carrots, diced
• 1 to 2 cups of garden peas
• 2 tbsp. of soy or broad bean paste *
• Thumb-sized ginger, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp oil
• wheat or soba noodles

Method

1. Thin the bean paste with a little water until the mix flows.
2. Heat a wok or a pan, add 1 tbsp of oil, add the ginger, then the pork. Stir fry until turning brown, about 1 minute, transfer to a bowl and set aside.
3. Stir fry the carrots with another tbsp of oil for one minute on high heat. Add the thinned bean paste and toss to mix. Add 1 to 2 cups of hot water to cover most of the carrots. Add the pork, bring the liquid to boil, cover the wok and let boil on medium heat for 5 minutes or until the carrot is tender.
4. Add the garden peas, stir to mix and cook for 1 minute (extend cooking time if using frozen peas straightaway), until the peas are tender. Serve with boiled wheat or soba noodles.

Recipe Notes

1. Soy bean paste or broad bean paste are widely available in Asian stores.
2. Depending on the type you have, you might need a little more of the bean paste. Start from 2 tbsp, taste the sauce at the end of step 3 then add extra if needed. If the bean paste you bought is spicy hot and you prefer a milder flavor, substitute part of it with soy sauce as desired.