How To Make Rice Noodles with Pork and Bean Sprouts

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While a plate of rice noodles may not carry the symbolism of, say, longevity noodles, they remain an important component of a family meal during the holidays. Much like the role of fried rice, serving these rice noodles with pork and bean sprouts toward the end of the meal ensures that no one at the table goes home hungry.

Within the context of preparing a Chinese holiday meal, this rice noodle recipe has two notable virtues worth mentioning. First, it’s made from ingredients commonly available at any grocery store, meaning you can make an authentic version of this dish without living near a Chinatown. Second, it’s served cold, which means you can make it hours in advance and free yourself to cook other dishes that are brought to the table immediately before the meal.

Preparing this recipe is very similar to making a salad. You’ll spend the majority of your time making the individual recipe components, which you’ll then combine all at once before serving. If you want, stop working once you have each of the ingredients ready and then mix them together right before your meal.

Despite this recipe’s simplicity, both in terms of ingredients and preparation, it produces a richly satisfying set of flavors. The rice noodles form a kind of tasteless palette, which soaks up the salt and sesame flavors from the dressing, along with the crunch and chewiness of the vegetables and pork. This recipe is a sure crowd-pleaser and I’d especially recommend it if you have a few less adventurous diners at your table.

Here’s how to make rice noodles with pork and bean sprouts, step-by-step. The detailed tutorial with pictures and directions is at the bottom of the page.

Your turn! What tips can you share from your family’s recipe? Want to ask a question before you start cooking? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below!

Rice Noodles with Pork and Bean Sprouts Recipe

Makes: 4-6 Servings | Prep Time: 30 Minutes | Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients

10 ounces ground pork
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
10 ounces dried rice noodles
10 ounces bean sprouts
4 green onions
4 tablespoons oil
5 shallots

Dressing:
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
3/4 cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons shallot oil (reserved from the fried shallots below)
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions

1. Soak the rice noodles in warm water for 15 minutes.

2. Season the pork with the salt and pepper, then brown in a skillet over medium heat. Remove and set aside in a bowl.

3. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the rice noodles for 7 minutes until tender. Remove the noodles from the pot, drain and set aside to cool.

4. Thinly slice the shallots and cut the green onions into lengths.

5. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Remove any tops and tails from the bean sprouts and blanch with the green onions for 30 seconds. Remove the vegetables from the pot, drain and set aside to cool.

6. Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat and then stir fry the shallots until they’re golden brown and crispy. Drain the fried shallots and reserve the oil. Set aside to cool.

7. Mix the Dressing ingredients together. Set aside.

8. Place the noodles, bean sprouts, green onions and half of the ground pork in a large bowl. Pour the Dressing over the noodles and toss until all the ingredients are evenly coated. Transfer to a serving platter and then spread the remaining pork and fried shallots on top. Serve immediately.

Step-By-Step Tutorial

Get started by gathering all of your ingredients. As you can see, this is a recipe using ingredients that are commonly available from any grocery store.

Put the rice noodles into a large bowl and soak in warm water for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, season the pork with the salt and pepper, then brown in a skillet over medium heat. Set aside in a bowl.

Thinly slice the shallots and cut the green onions into lengths.

Cook the rice noodles in a pot of boiling water for 7 minutes until they’re tender. Remove the noodles from the pot, drain and set aside to cool.

Bring a second pot of water to a boil and add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Remove any tops and tails from the bean sprouts and blanch with the green onions for 30 seconds. Remove the vegetables from the pot, drain and set aside to cool.

Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat and then stir fry the shallots until they’re golden brown and crispy. Drain the fried shallots and reserve the oil. Set aside to cool.

Mix the Dressing ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.

Place the noodles, bean sprouts, green onions and half of the ground pork in a large mixing bowl.

Pour the Dressing over the noodles and toss until all the ingredients are evenly coated.

Transfer the noodles to a serving platter and then spread the remaining pork and fried shallots on top. Serve immediately.

HT: Recipe adapted from Chinese Feasts & Festivals: A Cookbook.