Scallion Oil Noodles
Shanghai cong you ban mian: thin wheat noodles tossed with slow scallion oil, light soy, dark soy, and a little sugar.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- easy
A classic Shanghai method compiled from common home and street versions of 葱油拌面. Taste as you toss; soy brands differ in salt.
葱油拌面 is one of Shanghai’s simplest bowls: wheat noodles, oil cooked slowly with scallions, light soy for savor, dark soy for color, and a pinch of sugar to round the sauce. There is no broth and no long shopping list. The work is patience at the stove. Rush the scallions and the oil tastes sharp. Take them to a deep golden brown and the whole kitchen smells roasted and green.
Wash the scallions, then dry them thoroughly. Water left in the hollow greens will spit when it hits hot oil.
Ingredients
- 6 oz (170 g) dried thin wheat noodles, or 10–12 oz (280–340 g) fresh thin wheat noodles
- 6–8 scallions
- ¼ cup (60 ml) neutral oil (canola, vegetable, or peanut)
- 2 Tbsp light soy sauce
- 1½–2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- Optional to serve: chili crisp, soft-boiled egg, or a splash of Chinese black vinegar
Method
- 1Trim the scallions and cut them into roughly 2-inch segments. Pat every piece completely dry with a towel.
- 2Put the oil and scallions in a small saucepan or wok over medium-low heat. Fry gently, stirring often, until the scallions turn deep golden and crisp, usually 10–20 minutes. Lower the heat if the edges blacken. Scoop the fried scallions onto a plate; leave the oil in the pan.
- 3Mix the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl. Take the pan off the heat for a minute if the oil is very hot, then pour in the soy mixture carefully (it will sputter). Stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves and the sauce bubbles for 30–60 seconds. Turn off the heat.
- 4Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles until just tender and still springy (follow the package, and stop a little early if they soften fast). Drain well.
- 5Put the noodles in a mixing bowl. Start with 2–3 tablespoons of the scallion-soy oil, toss hard, taste, then add more until the noodles are coated and seasoned. You will likely have sauce left; that is normal. Top with the fried scallions and serve right away.
Notes
Useful details
- Light soy seasons; dark soy colors. Using only dark soy makes the bowl flat and too dark.
- Do not dump the whole pan of sauce onto two bowls at once. Soy brands vary, and this sauce is concentrated.
- Leftover sauce keeps in a clean jar in the fridge for about a week. Keep fried scallions separate in a dry container if you want them crisp.
- For the richer 开洋葱油拌面 version, soak a spoonful of dried shrimp, then fry them briefly in the scallion oil before you add the soy.