Chinese
Spring Onion Oil Noodles
Noodles tossed in deeply fragrant spring onion oil and soy — a famous Shanghai 15-minute dish from almost nothing.
About this recipe
Spring Onion Oil Noodles is a chinese lunch for 2 that is built around one boiling pot — easy to scale and hard to overthink., and it takes around 15 min start to finish. We sized it for a small household and ranked it on OneToCook by how much of it you already have in the fridge.
Good to know
* Dietary flags are derived from the listed ingredients — always check labels and your own needs for allergens.
Ingredients
- 2 portions noodles
- 4 stalks spring onion
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce buy
Equipment
Method
- 1
Cut the spring onions into lengths, separating white and green.
~3 min
- 2
Fry them slowly in the oil until deeply fragrant and lightly crisp, 6 min; stir in the soy sauces and sugar.
~7 min
- 3
Boil the noodles, drain, and toss in the spring onion oil.
~5 min
Smart swaps
Out of something? Try one of these.
- Noodles
- whatever you have — rice, instant noodles, or even pasta in a pinch.
- Spring onion
- thinly sliced onion or chives for the finish.
- Soy sauce
- tamari (gluten-free) or, in a pinch, a mix of Worcestershire sauce and water.
- Dark soy sauce
- regular soy + a few drops of molasses or a pinch of sugar for colour.
Cook's notes
- Dice the onion before anything heats up so it’s ready when the pan is — a even dice cooks evenly. How to dice an onion →
- Keep the white and green parts separate — whites go in early with the aromatics, greens at the end. How to chop spring onions →
- Do your chopping first (mise en place). With everything prepped, the actual cooking here is only about 12 min.
Storage & leftovers
Cool, then store airtight in the fridge for up to 2–3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout; add a splash of water if it has dried out.
Frequently asked
How long does Spring Onion Oil Noodles take to make? +
Around 15 min from start to finish, almost all of it hands-on.
How many people does this recipe serve? +
As written it serves 2. To cook for 4, roughly multiply the ingredients — but cook in batches if the pan gets crowded, so things sear instead of steaming.
What equipment do I need? +
You’ll want: induction hob, pot. OneToCook only suggests recipes that fit the equipment you tell it you have, so you can filter these out if your kitchen is more minimal.
What can I use if I'm missing an ingredient? +
Common swaps for this dish: Noodles → whatever you have — rice, instant noodles, or even pasta in a pinch; Spring onion → thinly sliced onion or chives for the finish; Soy sauce → tamari (gluten-free) or, in a pinch, a mix of Worcestershire sauce and water. See the full list of smart swaps above.
Can I make Spring Onion Oil Noodles ahead of time? +
Cool, then store airtight in the fridge for up to 2–3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout; add a splash of water if it has dried out.
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