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This tutorial is to show you how to make Chongqing suan la fen, a spicy and sour potato starch noodles soup topped with crunchy soybean nuts and peanuts. They make for a perfect appetizer.
Suan la fen is gaining popularity these days outside of China. The transparent noodles (hence the name glass noodles) have that bouncy texture and are drenched in a spicy and sour soup base (suan la tang). The Hai Chi Jia brand instant suan la fen noodles are all the raves these days. But do you know that you can easily make a really good suan la fen tang at home too? You can even make the potato/sweet potato starch noodles from scratch with only 2 ingredients.
How to prepare suan la fen soup base
1. Put the grated garlic, Sichuan peppercorns, white sesame seeds, chili flakes in a heat-proof medium-size bow
2. Heat up 1/3 cup of oil until really hot and then carefully pour this over the garlic mixture and stir a little bit
3. Add the rest of the ingredients for the suan la soup base. Have a taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference. It should be spicy and sour
4. Put the noodles into an individual serving bowl or one large serving bowl. Pour the suan la soup base over. Garnish with chopped green onion and cilantro leaves if using. Top with some peanuts and soybean nuts. Serve
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How To Make Suan La Fen Noodles (Spicy and Sour Potato Starch Noodles)
Ingredients
- 250 gr dried sweet potato noodles or homemade potato starch noodles
Toppings:
- 100 gr soybeans
- 100 gr raw peanuts with skins on
- 4 Tbsp oil divided
For the suan la soup base:
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- ¼ tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 Tbsp red chili flakes
- ⅓ cup hot oil
- ½ tsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce use tamari or coconut amino for gluten-free version
- 2 Tbsp Chinese black vinegar
- ½ cup chicken broth or vegetable broth for vegan/vegetarian version
Instructions
- If using homemade potato starch noodles, prepare accordingly. If you use store-bought sweet potato starch noodles, cook the noodles according to the instruction on the package
Prepare the toppings:
- If you want to have soybeans as toppings, soak them for at least 2 hours or overnight in water. Then drain off water. Put them on a large pan and stir fry on a dry pan until they are dry over medium-low heat. Then add 2 Tbsp of oil to lightly pan fry them until crunchy over medium-low heat, this may take about 15 minutes. Let them cool down completely and then store in a container with a tight-fitting lid
- You can also air fry the soy bean nuts after soaking. Put them in the basket of air fryer and air fry at 300 F (150 C) for about 5 minutes until they are dry, the spray with a bit of cooking spray and continue to air fry until golden brown and crispy, about 10 minutes or less. They will be crunchier after cooling down
- Usually, peanuts with skins are used as toppings for suan la fen. I just use whatever I have, which is roasted peanuts without skin, so I don't actually pan fry or roast them anymore. If you use raw peanuts with skins, preheat pan with 2 Tbsp of oil and then add the peanuts and cook over medium-low heat for about 8-10 minutes until they are golden brown. Remove from the heat and let them cool down and then store in a container with a tight-fitting lid
Prepare the suan la soup base:
- Put the grated garlic, Sichuan peppercorns, white sesame seeds, chili flakes in a heat-proof medium-size bowl. Heat up 1/3 cup of oil until really hot and then carefully pour this over the garlic mixture and stir a little bit. Add the rest of the ingredients for the suan la soup base. Have a taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference. It should be spicy and sour
Assembling:
- Put the noodles into an individual serving bowl or one large serving bowl. Pour the suan la soup base over. Garnish with chopped green onion and cilantro leaves if using. Top with some peanuts and soybean nuts. Serve
2 comments
I’ve made this recipe a few times before from Woks of Life, but that one calls for preserved veg which I don’t have currently. I think this recipe is a bit more simplified, but it’s still an absolutely smashing dish. I used balsamic instead of black vinegar, which is okay as a substitution since there’s a lot of other strong flavors in it (I’ve made it with black vinegar before, and the difference is fairly nuanced) and mmm, I used heaps of cilantro! The only ingredient 100% requiring an Asian market run is the Sichuan pepper, so for me it’s very convenient since the “japchae” noodles are getting easier to find in my small grocery. Also, this is a great 1-person dish, which not a lot of recipes manage, but it’s just as easy to make multiple bowls at once. Pretty much no excuses to avoid this recipe!
Yes, balsamic vinegar is actually quite a great substitution to the Chinese black vinegar, which is not always easy to find. I’m glad you get it to work out for you again 😉