Yo Po Mian

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Published May 13, 2021

Yo Po Mian
Julia Gartland for The New York Times (Photography and Styling)
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(1,900)
Comments
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A staple dish from the Shaanxi Province in China’s central northwest, yo po mian literally means “oil sprinkled noodles.” It’s traditionally made with biang biang, or hand-torn flat noodles, but wide wheat noodles are used here for a quick weeknight meal. (In a pinch, any dried noodles will work.) This dish packs a lot of flavor, but its preparation is deceptively simple: Noodles and greens are topped with raw garlic and chiles, then hot oil is poured over the top, which coaxes the flavor out of the aromatics. Yo po mian is typically very garlicky, but that’s been dialed back here with just four cloves. (Use more or less, depending upon your personal preference.) You could add ground Sichuan peppercorns for tangy spice, and if you have dark soy sauce, you can substitute it for half of the soy sauce in this recipe, as it will add deep sweetness and rich caramel flavor.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • Kosher salt
  • 12ounces dried wide wheat noodles
  • 4heads baby bok choy (about 12 ounces), trimmed and sliced lengthwise into 4 pieces
  • 4small garlic cloves, peeled and grated
  • 8teaspoons soy sauce
  • 4teaspoons black vinegar
  • 1teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
  • 2scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1handful cilantro leaves
  • 8tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

601 calories; 32 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 19 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 65 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 14 grams protein; 609 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to package directions until just al dente. When they are about 45 to 60 seconds from being done, add the bok choy and press the greens down to submerge them. Cook for 45 to 60 seconds, until they are bright green and just tender. Drain, and divide the noodles and greens between 4 deep noodle bowls.

  2. Step 2

    Divide the garlic between the four bowls of noodles, then top each bowl of noodles with 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon black vinegar, ¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, some scallions and a small bundle of cilantro leaves.

  3. Step 3

    In a small saucepan (if you have one with a spout, it is very helpful for pouring the oil), heat the oil over high until it is smoking. (To test, touch the oil with a wooden chopstick or skewer; the oil should bubble vigorously.) Very carefully pour the oil over the garlic and toppings, dividing it evenly among the bowls. Toss to coat the noodles and serve immediately.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,900 user ratings
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Comments

Nana

This is a dish that my grandmother always made for me growing up. Of course she’d pull the noodles from scratch. But using packaged noodles, this dish is simple and fast, yet packed with flavor. I recommend using chili pepper powder from Shaanxi instead if you can find it in your local Asian grocery store. It is less spicy and much more fragrant! Other chili peppers work, but probably won’t taste the same as the yo po mian you find in Xi’an.

Tasha

8 tablespoons oil? That's half a cup. Why not make life easy? 8 teaspoons? Who's going to measure that? Why not 2 tablespoons plus a shy one? Or just round up to 3 tablespoons. Really. Life is too short.

Barb

Could something like pappardelle be used here?

NNL

i love Aleppo pepper as an alternative. I often use Aleppo pepper as a substitute for gochugaru as well @PatC

Erin

This is an exceptionally delicious yet simple dish. The only thing I can’t find is perfect noodles- I may need to go to an Asian market. Either way, I combined all of the sauce and poured everything in one bowl because I was not cooking for multiples- just for leftovers. Still tasted amazing. I also added some red chili peppers, red onions, and toasted crushed peanut. Amazing what the hot oil does for the final dish!

wmc

8 tbsp = 1/2 cup 8 tsp = 1.33 oz = 40 ml 4 tsp = 0.66 oz = 20 ml

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