Gluten-Free Dan Dan Noodle Recipe
This recipe finds its way into our dinner rotation quite often - and for good reasons!
It’s super tasty, for starters. It also comes together fairly quickly and is packed with protein and tons of flavor.
While “Gluten-free” tends to be a health buzz word nowadays, it isn’t just a fluffy word to make things seem healthier. Gluten is a protein that’s found in some grains, like wheat, rye, and barley. Some people have a gluten intolerance, or a sensitivity to gluten, and should avoid it. Others still might find it beneficial to avoid gluten while trying to heal a leaky gut, or balance your blood sugar and hormones.
This recipe is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner that will please the whole family, and much cheaper than takeout! Feel free to adjust the spice level accordingly for little ones or more sensitive palates.
Choosing Ingredients:
Ground Pork
When choosing pork products, look for “antibiotic free” on the label. This minimizes the chance of antibiotic resistant bacteria that could be present in the meat. If you can find pork with the “organic” label, even better, as that means your pork was fed an organic diet and had year-round access to the outdoors. This leads to happier and healthier animals, and ultimately healthier food.
Hoisin Sauce
Most store bought sauces are full of colorings, preservatives, artificial flavors, and inflammatory oils - and unfortunately hoisin sauce is often no different. But this brand has the best ingredients I’ve found so far and is the one I recommend to keep your dish gluten-free, as well as free of caramel colorings, canola oil, and artificial thickeners.
Chili Crunch Oil
I love the Trader Joe’s Brand of “crunchy chili onion” oil because it’s insanely delicious and pretty darn cost effective. And while it’s probably gluten-free, it doesn’t say so on the bottle and there is a chance it could contain traces of wheat. So if you’re truly looking to keep your meal gluten-free, check out momofuku’s tasty version.
Noodles
You may have been wondering “how do I make a noodle dish gluten-free?” With rice noodles, that’s how! Since rice doesn’t contain gluten, it can be used to make these chewy and satisfying ramen noodles. They don’t sit as heavy as regular wheat noodles, yet are still very filling. I love Lotus Foods rice ramen noodles, and they are the only ones I use for this recipe. You can find them at Target, most health food stores, and even Costco.
The Recipe
Servings Prep Time Cook Time
6 5 Minutes 30 Minutes
Ingredients:
2 lb ground pork
4 tsp hoisin
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp coconut aminos
1 tsp five spice powder
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 pint shittake or baby portabello mushrooms (or any kind you like!), chopped or sliced
2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 tbsp shallots, diced
6 ramen cakes
4 stalks green onion
sesame seeds, for garnish
peanuts (omit if there is any allergy) for garnish
For the SAUCE
7 tbsp + 1 tsp coconut aminos
4 tbsp tahini (or you can use nut butter)
4 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp five spice powder
1/2 cup chili oil (adjust to fit your spice preference)
1/2 cup cooking water reserved from noodles
In a large skillet over medium-high, cook your ground pork. When the pork is almost cooked, add your hoisin, apple cider vinegar, coconut aminos & five spice powder. Stir and cook for an additional 2-4 minutes until fully cooked, then remove your meat from the pan and set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat and cook your noodles. They only take 4 minutes, so keep an eye on them! When they’re done, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water before draining. Rinse your noodles in cold water to stop the cooking process and set them and your cooking water aside.
To the pan where the pork was cooked, add the olive oil and cook your mushrooms until lightly browned, about five minutes. Add your ginger and shallots and cook until fragrant (about 2 minutes).
In a small bowl, whisk together your sauce ingredients including the reserved water. Add your sauce to the mushrooms and cook for about 2 minutes.
Remove pan from the heat. Add your noodles, ground pork, and scallions. Stir to combine everything together.
Serve in bowls or on plates and top with sesame seeds and crushed peanuts, and maybe another little drizzle of chili crunch oil, if you’re feeling adventurous. Enjoy!
