Cold Noodles with Pickled Beans and Chili Oil

酸豆角拌面

Cold Noodles with Pickled Beans and Chili Oil — Northern snackBeijing home cooking.

Ingredients

• wheat noodles (fresh or dried)
• pickled long beans (suan dou jiao)
• chili oil (homemade or high-quality store-bought)
• Chinese black vinegar
• roasted peanuts

Instructions

1. Boil noodles in plenty of salted water until just tender (al dente). Drain, rinse under cold running water, then shake vigorously in colander. (Noodles glisten with moisture but no puddles form in colander.)
2. Toss noodles with 10 ml (2 tsp) neutral oil in a large bowl. Set aside uncovered. (Each strand coated with thin, glossy film; no clumping.)
3. In small bowl, whisk chili oil, black vinegar, and 2 g (½ tsp) light soy sauce until emulsified. (Dressing thickens slightly; no oil separation visible.)
4. Add pickled beans and half the peanuts to noodle bowl. Pour dressing over top. (Beans and peanuts rest atop noodles; dressing pools lightly at bottom.)
5. Toss vigorously with two chopsticks or tongs until noodles gleam and beans coat evenly. Top with remaining peanuts and extra chili oil if desired. (Noodles coil smoothly; each bean sticks to strands without sliding off.)