Shanghai Scallion Oil Noodles (Cōng Yóu Bàn Miàn 葱油拌面)

Scallion oil noodles (Cōng Yóu Bàn Miàn, 葱油拌面) are a classic Chinese noodle dish from Shanghai. It’s Shanghai street food at its best: five ingredients, ten minutes of active work and a result that beats most far more complicated recipes.

History and Tradition

Scallion oil noodles are often said to go back to the Qing dynasty (1644–1912), though they became famous as a cheap, everyday street food in 20th-century Shanghai. The dish started out as a simple meal for working people but quickly won fans thanks to its simplicity and wonderful flavor. Today these noodles are served in restaurants and homes all over China and have become a symbol of Shanghai cooking.

Ingredients and Method

The dish is easy enough for a complete beginner. The classic version needs just wheat noodles, plenty of scallions, a neutral oil, light and dark soy sauce and a little sugar.

1. The scallions are fried slowly in oil until golden and crispy, which turns the oil into fragrant scallion oil.
2. The light and dark soy sauce and sugar go into the hot oil, where the sugar dissolves into a glossy sauce.
3. The noodles are boiled according to the package directions.
4. The drained noodles are tossed in the scallion oil sauce.
5. The dish is served warm, topped with the crispy fried scallions.

Variations and Add-Ons

Scallion oil noodles are incredibly versatile, and you can adapt them to your taste. Use whatever noodles you like. Feel free to add thinly sliced cucumber, chopped scallion greens, cilantro and a fried egg. Sliced chicken and crushed peanuts are great too.

• For more heat, add fresh chili or a spoonful of chili oil.
• You can add other vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots, bell peppers or mushrooms.
• Any neutral vegetable oil works – peanut, canola or sunflower. A few drops of sesame oil at the end add extra aroma.
• Scallion oil noodles also make a great side for meat, tofu or vegetables.

Nutrition

This is a simple dish with very few ingredients. The noodles provide carbohydrates for energy, and scallions and any added vegetables contribute vitamins and minerals. Just keep in mind that the scallion oil is the heart of the dish, so it isn’t a particularly light one – adding vegetables or a fried egg makes it a more balanced meal.

Tips

• For the best flavor, use plenty of fresh scallions and a neutral oil, and fry them slowly so they turn deeply golden without burning.
• No wok? A regular skillet or pot works fine.
• You can make the scallion oil sauce ahead and reheat it later.
• The dish can also be served as part of a noodle soup.
• Make sure you dry the scallions thoroughly after washing so they don’t spatter too much in the hot oil.

Print Recipe

Shanghai Scallion Oil Noodles (Cōng Yóu Bàn Miàn 葱油拌面)

Scallion oil noodles are a Shanghai street classic: scallions slowly fried into a fragrant oil, a simple sauce of light and dark soy and sugar, and springy wheat noodles. Five ingredients, a result that beats far more complicated recipes.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 225 g scallions 8 oz, about 2 bunches (12–15 stalks); washed, thoroughly dried and cut
• ¼ cup neutral oil 60 ml
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp sugar brown or white
• 450 g wheat noodles 1 lb

Instructions

• Wash the scallions and dry them thoroughly with paper towels. Trim the ends. Cut them into long pieces, then halve each piece lengthwise.
• Pour the oil into a pan or wok and add the scallions. Fry over medium heat. As soon as the white parts of the scallions turn golden, remove them and set aside. Leave the oil in the wok.
• Turn off the heat and let the oil cool for about a minute. Then carefully pour in the mixture of light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and sugar. Stir and let the residual heat of the oil dissolve the sugar completely.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until done.
• Drain the noodles and transfer them to the wok. Toss so every strand is evenly coated in the sauce.
• Divide the noodles among serving bowls and top with the crispy fried scallions.

Notes

1. Besides traditional Chinese wheat noodles, feel free to use rice noodles, soba or even Italian spaghetti.

2. If the oil isn’t hot enough and no bubbles appear when you add the soy sauce and sugar, turn the heat back on briefly to warm the sauce.

3. You can make a bigger batch of the sauce and keep it in the fridge for up to a month. Use the fried scallions within 3 days.

4. Dry the scallions really well after washing – wet scallions will spatter in the hot oil.