Hot and Sour Glass Noodle Soup (Suānlà fěn)

Overview

Suan la fen is a hot and sour noodle soup from Chongqing and Sichuan in south-west China. Thick, chewy glass noodles made from sweet potato starch are boiled until clear and slippery and placed in a bowl with a sharp, fiery seasoning of black vinegar, chilli oil, ground Sichuan pepper, garlic, soy sauce and a little sugar. Hot stock or water is poured over, and the bowl is topped with crunchy fried peanuts or soybeans, chopped pickled mustard greens, spring onion and coriander. The broth is sour, spicy and numbing all at once, and the noodles soak up the flavour.

History

Sweet potatoes have been grown in Sichuan since the seventeenth century, and their starch is made into noodles in many villages. Suan la fen began as a cheap snack sold from shoulder poles and small stalls on the steep streets of Chongqing. It is now one of the best-known Sichuan street foods across China, and instant versions sold in pots have made it popular around the world.

Main ingredients

Sweet potato glass noodles, black vinegar, chilli oil, sichuan pepper, roasted peanuts and soybeans, pickled mustard greens. The soup is built on hot and sour broth and is usually served hot. Diet: vegan; not usually gluten-free.

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Recipe

4Serves

25 min10 prep · 15 cook

~380kcal / serving

EasyDifficulty

Method

1. 1

   Divide the vinegar, soy sauce, chilli oil, Sichuan pepper and garlic between the bowls.

2. 2
   5 min

   Boil the noodles for 5 minutes until clear and soft.

3. 3

   Put the noodles in the bowls and pour over the hot stock.

4. 4

   Top with peanuts, pickled greens, spring onion and coriander.

5. ✓

   Serve. About 25 min from start to bowl.

Sources

• Hot and sour noodles (Wikipedia)

Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.