Suanlafen (Sichuan Hot-and-Sour Sweet Potato Noodle Soup)
Quick answer
Suanlafen is a Sichuan street noodle soup featuring sweet potato glass noodles in a hot-and-sour broth.
What makes this special
- Sichuan sweet potato noodles served in a hot-and-sour broth of black vinegar and chili oil.
- Black vinegar acidity and chili oil heat arrive simultaneously in each sip
- Sweet potato noodles' slippery chew contrasts with the hot broth
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Soak 180 g sweet potato noodles in lukewarm water for 10 minutes.
- 2 Rinse 80 g bok choy and separate large leaves and stems into easy-to-eat pieces.
- 3 Pour 800 ml chicken stock into a pot and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
Suanlafen is a Sichuan street noodle soup featuring sweet potato glass noodles in a hot-and-sour broth. The broth gets its sharpness from black vinegar and its heat from chili oil and ground Sichuan pepper. Chewy, translucent noodles absorb the broth while maintaining a springy bite. Toppings typically include crushed peanuts, pickled mustard greens, and cilantro. The dish takes roughly 35 minutes to prepare and allows easy adjustment of sourness and spice levels to taste. Controlling noodle texture and sauce coating helps the ingredients cook evenly while keeping the final seasoning balanced.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Step
Soak 180 g sweet potato noodles in lukewarm water for 10 minutes.
Loosen any stuck strands gently with your fingers, then drain well so excess water does not dilute the broth.
- 2Step
Rinse 80 g bok choy and separate large leaves and stems into easy-to-eat pieces.
Coarsely crush 30 g peanuts, then keep them aside until serving so they stay crunchy.
- 3Control
Pour 800 ml chicken stock into a pot and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon minced garlic, then simmer for 2 minutes to soften the raw garlic edge.
- 4Control
Add the drained noodles and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes.
Stir from the bottom to prevent sticking, and when the noodles turn translucent, add the bok choy.
- 5Heat
Cook 1 to 2 minutes more, just until the bok choy stems soften slightly and the leaves look bright.
Check one noodle; when it bites springy rather than hard, lower the heat.
- 6Finish
Divide the noodles and broth into bowls, then add the 2 tablespoons black vinegar in stages to control the sourness.
Drizzle with 2 tablespoons chili oil, top with peanuts, and serve hot.
After the steps
Pick a recipe that fits this dish.
Continue with shared ingredients, meal pairings, or a similar method.
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