Looking for deep flavours but an easy meal to make on a weeknight? Why not try these delicious Sichuan-inspired Spicy Vermicelli Noodles?
Thank goodness for easy yummy meals
My parents have Kai (our toddler) for the day, so I was hoping to create some magic in my neglected kitchen, but it didn’t happen. Instead, I caught up on some much-needed rest.
Kai wasn’t around to disturb me, but Caviar, my needy Siberian kitty, woke me up. He was yowling at my door, begging me to let him in. Like always, I would cave in and open the door for him. He quickly jumped onto my bed, looked into my eyes and told me off with a few sharp meows. Apparently, I’m supposed to stop whatever I’m doing and shower him with attention.
If I’m not functional in the kitchen, it’s going to be Uber Eats for the family, a habit that we want to kick this year. Please, no more Uber Eats!
Thank goodness for quick and easy dishes like these Spicy Vermicelli Noodles. Even if I’m not feeling my best, I can still make a satisfying and flavourful meal.
These Spicy Vermicelli Noodles is a Sichuan-inspired dish known affectionately as ‘Ants climbing a tree’ Without Googling why, I got it straight away, the trees are noodles and the ants are the ground meat!
These mung bean vermicelli noodles have a wonderful texture and they soak up most of the flavourful savoury sauce. The sauce comprises spicy bean sauce, ginger, garlic, light and dark soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine. I used pork mince, but you can swap it with any type of ground meat or plant-based mince.
Vermicelli noodles
Buying Asian noodles makes me a little anxious. Many times I thought I have purchased the right noodles for a recipe but turns out it wasn’t! They’re so many kinds of noodles out there, so let’s make sure we get the right noodles!
What are vermicelli noodles?
There are two main types of Asian vermicelli noodles, rice and bean. The one we want for this dish is vermicelli made from mung beans. They are sometimes called glass or cellophane noodles or bean threads.
I prefer using ‘Lungkow’ brand, but any brand should work as long as the key ingredients are pea starch and green mung bean starch. They need to be soaked for a short time before cooking.
What is spicy bean sauce?
Chilli bean sauce (spicy Doubanjiang) is a spicy and aromatic sauce made from fermented broad beans, soybeans and chilli peppers. It gives dishes deep savoury flavours.
The name of the sauce can be a little confusing, so it’s best to check the ingredients printed on the label. My local Asian grocer had jars of spicy bean sauce without the broad beans, so I used it on this occasion and it still turned out delicious but I prefer the one with the broad beans.
More yummy Chinese-inspired dishes:
Chinese-inspired Poach Salmon
Chinese Pork & Clams Stir-fry
Ginger & shallot steamed fish
Prawn Toast on Garlic Bread
Ingredients for Spicy Vermicelli Noodles
Vermicelli bean threads – Also referred to as glass or cellophane noodles. They’re thin threads usually sold in little bundles, but not to be mistaken for rice vermicelli because they look very similar. Bean vermicelli is made from mung bean starch and requires a little time to soak before use. I prefer the brand ‘Lungkow’ vermicelli, which I got from my local Asian grocery store.
Spicy bean sauce (or Chilli bean sauce) is a flavourful savoury sauce with deep flavours made from fermented soybeans and chilli peppers. The only brand I found was ‘Lee Kum Kee’ at my local Asian grocer.
Light soy sauce or regular soy sauce but avoid the dark or sweet soy sauce varieties, as these are not interchangeable.
Dark soy sauce – The dark soy sauce variety is mainly used to add colour to a dish. It’s less salty, but sweeter and thicker than regular or light soy sauce.
Shaoxing cooking wine is a Chinese cooking wine, sometimes known as Shao Xing or Shao Hsing. It comprises water, rice, wheat, salt and alcohol. Bottles of Shaoxing wine are cheap to buy from Asian specialty stores and some supermarkets stock them too. Mirin or dry sherry are good substitutes for Shaoxing wine.
Chicken stock/broth – I prefer using salt-reduced or low-sodium chicken stock because I have more control over the sodium level. This way I can adjust the seasoning in dishes to my liking. It’s always better to be under-seasoned than over-seasoned as it’s easier to fix.
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How to make Spicy Vermicelli Noodles
Step-by-step guide with photos
Cover the dry vermicelli noodles completely with cold tap water, and leave for 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature. Drain the noodles using a colander and set them aside for later.
Heat oil in a large wok or deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Place in the garlic and ginger, then stir-fry for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add in the pork and stir-fry until it’s cooked, then add in the spicy bean sauce and stir it through. Pour in the wine, light and dark soy sauces and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add in the stock and sugar, then bring the mixture to a boil, then place in the noodles. Stir-fry until the noodles have soaked most of the liquid and they look transparent (about 3 to 4 minutes). Toss in the spring onions and stir through, then remove from the heat. Serve the Spicy Vermicelli Noodles on their own or over steamed rice.
Leftovers – Allow the noodles to cool completely at room temperature, then transfer them into a sealed container and store them in the fridge. It should be good for 3 days.
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
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Cheers – Cat T
Spicy Vermicelli Noodles (Ants climbing a tree)
Ingredients
- 200 gm dried vermicelli noodles (NOTE 1)
- 2 tbsp peanut oil
- 3 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp finely grated ginger
- 300 gm pork mince (or any ground meat)
- 2 tbsp spicy bean sauce (NOTE 2)
- 1 tbsp shaoxing wine (NOTE 3)
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce (NOTE 4)
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (NOTE 5)
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 cup salt-reduced/low sodium chicken stock (500ml/17fl oz) (NOTE 6)
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced spring onion (scallion, green onion)
Instructions
- Cover the dry vermicelli noodles completely with cold tap water, and leave for 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature. Drain the noodles using a colander and set them aside for later.
- Heat oil in a large wok or deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Place in the garlic and ginger, then stir-fry for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add in the pork and stir-fry until it's cooked, then add in the spicy bean sauce and stir it through. Pour in the wine, light and dark soy sauces and stir-fry for 1 minute.
- Add in the stock and sugar, then bring the mixture to a boil, then place in the noodles. Stir-fry until the noodles have soaked most of the liquid and they look transparent (about 3 to 4 minutes). Toss in the spring onions and stir through, then remove from the heat. Serve the Spicy Vermicelli Noodles on their own or over steamed rice.
