Liang Pi (Cold Skin Noodles)
Liang pi — slippery, chewy cold "skin" noodles tossed in a garlicky, tangy, chili-oil sauce with cucumber. The refreshing Shaanxi street classic for hot days. No-cook assembly.
Prep Time15m
Cook Time5m
Yield2 bowls
CuisineShaanxi
Spicy:
🌶️🌶️
Ingredients
- Liang pi sheets 300g (Asian market; or wide rice noodles as substitute)
- Cucumber 1, julienned
- Garlic 3 cloves, minced + 3 tbsp water (garlic water)
- Chinese black vinegar 2 tbsp
- Light soy sauce 1 tbsp
- Sesame paste 1 tbsp, loosened with water
- Chili oil with flakes 2 tbsp
- Sugar ½ tsp
- Salt ¼ tsp
- Sesame oil 1 tsp
- Wheat gluten (mian jin) cubes (optional)
- Cilantro + crushed peanuts (optional)
- Bean sprouts, blanched (optional)
Steps
- Slice liang pi sheets into wide ribbons; if refrigerated, rinse briefly and drain so they separate and turn slippery.
- Make garlic water: stir minced garlic into 3 tbsp water; let sit 5 min.
- Whisk the sauce: garlic water, vinegar, soy sauce, loosened sesame paste, sugar, salt, sesame oil.
- Toss liang pi with cucumber (and sprouts/gluten if using) and the sauce until evenly coated.
- Finish with a generous spoon of chili oil, cilantro and peanuts. Serve cold.
Tips
Garlic WATER (not raw minced garlic) gives the even, mellow garlic hit street vendors use. Loosen the sesame paste fully or it clumps. Chili oil at the end keeps its fragrance. Can’t find liang pi? Wide rice noodles are a decent stand-in.
