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Scallion Oil Noodles (Cong You Ban Mian)

You can NOT miss this if you are a noodles fan! I mean really, who isn't?! These scallion oil noodles are super quick and easy yet so incredibly satisfying, all you need are 5 ingredients and about 15 minutes! And this is a naturally vegan dish that can also be made gluten-free easily.

If food has a hall of fame this dish would without a doubt be in it. Scallion oil noodles, or Cong You Ban Mian, is one of the most iconic Shanghai dishes, and you would be able to find them from the most inconspicuous little food stand on the street to the fanciest Chinese restaurants in Shanghai.

It's a perfect representation of the saying beauty is in simplicity. Chewy, hearty noodles generously coated in this rich, umami, aromatic scallion oil that packs so much flavor, stir them up to get every single strand of noodle to glisten with the goodness, slurp up - simply food heaven.

You can also make a big batch of the scallion oil and store is in the fridge for an even quick meal! Once you have this scallion oil sauce ready the next time you crave this dish you can literally get to eat in 3 minutes.


INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup neutral-tasting oil, avocado, canola, peanut, etc

6 scallion

2 tablespoon light soy sauce

3 tablespoon dark mushroom soy sauce

1 - 2 tablespoon brown sugar

100 gram noodles of choice, 2 servings

Sesame seeds for garnish


TO MAKE:

- Wash and pat dry the scallions, do not skip the drying step, this is to prevent the oil from splattering later;

- Trim off the roots, chop the white and semi-green stem parts into 3 inch long pieces, save the darkest green leafy part;

- Slice the scallion white and semi-green parts again lengthwise into thin strips, and finely chop the dark leaf part;

- In a wok or frying pan, heat the oil over medium-low heat, add the scallion whites first, stir and fry for about 2 minutes until slightly golden, then add the semi-greens, lower the heat and let them fry slowly;

- Once almost all the stalks are golden brown, start straining out the crispy browned pieces and set aside;

- In the scallion oil pan, add the light and dark soy sauce and sugar, keep the heat low and stir constantly to incorporate the oil and the sauce;

- Meanwhile, bring a pot a water to boil and cook your noodles according to your preference, I like to keep them a bit on the chewier side, the longer you cook them the softer they get;

- When ready to serve, pour a couple tablespoons of scallion oil sauce over the noodles to your taste, add back in the crispy fried scallion pieces, stir to combine well, garnish with chopped scallion greens and sesame seeds, enjoy!


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