Yang Chun Mian (Spring Noodle Soup, 阳春面)

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• What is Yang Chun Mian
• Ingredients & substitutes
• Cooking workflow
• Serving ideas
• Other easy noodle recipes
• 📋 Recipe card

What is Yang Chun Mian

Yang Chun Mian/阳春面, literally meaning “Spring Noodles”, is also known as s Guang Mian/光面 or Qing Tang Mian/清汤面 in Chinese. It’s one of the most humble dishes popular in the Jiangnan region, often associated with Shanghai Cuisine.

It features wheat-based noodles served in a soy sauce-flavored clear soup. Unlike other classic Chinese noodle dishes, such as Dan Dan Noodles and Fried Sauce Noodles, it doesn’t include any meat or vegetable toppings, except for chopped scallions as a garnish.

Yang Chun Mian epitomizes simplicity, allowing each element of the dish to shine through with its clean, natural flavors. A simple bowlful lets you enjoy the subtle aroma of wheat, the umami from the stock and soy sauce, the mild pungency of scallions, and the rich fragrance of sesame oil (or traditionally, lard).

 

Ingredients & substitutes

Here is the list of ingredients and their possible substitutes for this recipe:

• Noodles. The traditional version calls for thin noodles made of just wheat flour and water. However, if you’re not keen on the authentic taste, other types of noodles work too, such as alkaline noodles (ramen), egg noodles, rice noodles, or soba noodles.
• Stock. Choose unsalted stock made with chicken, beef, and vegetables. My favorite quick solution is Chinese mushroom seasoning powder (香菇精) diluted with hot water.
• Soy sauce. It’s best, but by no means compulsory, to use both light soy sauce and dark soy sauce, as the latter offers an appetizing hue to the soup.
• Sesame oil, or lard, rendered chicken fat
• White pepper, for a subtle spicy kick
• Scallions, for an extra aroma and color

🌟 NOTE: The most humble version of the dish can be made with water instead of stock. I find it sufficiently satisfying, especially when lard is used.

Cooking workflow

It takes less than 10 minutes to put this dish together. Here is the most efficient workflow:

Step 1: Cook the noodles

Bring plenty of water to a full boil, then put in the noodles. When the water boils again, turn the heat down to medium. Leave to cook until the noodles are just cooked.

🌟 NOTE: Since the noodles will further soften once immersed in the soup, be careful not to overcook them, as this can result in a mushy texture.

Step 2: Heat the stock

If your stove has two or more burners, use another pot to heat up the stock while you cook the noodles.

If using shop-bought stock in cubes or powder, you can simply dilute it with hot water boiled in the kettle.

Step 3: Prepare the seasonings

Add all the seasonings — soy sauce, sesame oil (or lard), and white pepper — to each serving bowl. Cut the scallions crosswise into fine pieces.

Step 4: Assemble the dish

Pour the heated stock into the bowls. Give the soup a quick stir, then taste it to see if extra salt is needed.

Lay in the cooked noodles and garnish with chopped scallions. Enjoy the dish while warm.

Serving ideas

Thanks to its simplicity and quick cooking, Yang Chun Mian would make a great addition to your breakfast or lunch menus. To make the meal a little fancier (but still remain simple and quick), pair it with a refreshing Smashed Cucumber Salad and a Marble Tea Egg cooked and steeped beforehand.

If you happen to have some leftover cooked meat, such as Roast Chicken, or Char Siu, use it as a topping for this noodle soup.

Other easy noodle recipes

Looking for more noodle dishes that are as simple as Yang Chun Mian? Try these classic recipes:

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