As most of you know, I love Asian food. In fact, one of my bucket list goals is to travel to Japan, Thailand, and other Asian destinations just to eat! One of my favorite dishes is Udon Noodles, a simple Japanese noodle dish. Also, yaki udon noodles cook in under 20 minutes. And, I'm all about dinner in under 20 minutes. Read this amazing article and learn how to make a fantastic yaki noodles recipe.
Of course, my oil-free yaki udon noodles are healthy and stir-fried instead of pan-fried in oil.
WHAT ARE UDON NOODLES? AND HOW DO I PREPARE THEM?
Udon noodles are sold by a variety of grocery stores, but I personally lobe KA-ME Udon Stir Fry Noodles. Even though these noodles are pre-made, they only contain a few ingredients and no-oil.
- Water
- Wheat-flour
- Tapioca Starch
- Non-Dairy Lactic Acid (vegetable source)
HOW TO PREPARE UDON STIR-FRY NOODLES WITHOUT OIL
Despite the package directions instructing to use oil, I skip the oil and prepare them a little differently. The options for cooking the noodles is 90 seconds in the microwave or 2 minutes stir-fried. Instead, I microwave for 45 seconds to loosen and then rinse lightly in water to separate the noodles before stir-frying at the end.
As a result, the noodles remain firm and don't break, which happened the first time I attempted both sets of directions.
Once rinse, I drain any excess water and then transfer the noodles to cook for 2 minutes with my other ingredients. The results are amazing. Regardless of the sauce chosen with udon noodles, I strongly recommend these noodles.
For those who are interested in the caloric and other nutritional values:
WHAT INGREDIENTS GO BEST YAKI UDON NOODLES RECIPE?
Traditionally, Yaki udon noodles are served with ground beef or pork. Obviously that isn't vegan, so you have a choice of proteins to choose from (all vegan of course) or skip the protein altogether.
- Bocca Crumbles (or another plant-based vegan meat crumble)
- Brown Lentils (I like Trader Joe's steamed lentils)
- Tofu
- Tempeh
Then, the vegetables you choose is completely up to you. I chose to make it simple and added:
- Garlic
- Onion
- Mushrooms
- Fresh Thai basil
But I also suggest if you plan to build a veggie bowl with the udon noodles, these vegetables go wonderfully:
- Bok choy
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Red bell pepper
- Sesame Seeds
THE SAUCE IS WHAT BRINGS YAKI UDON NOODLES TOGETHER!
As usual, I'm all about the sauce! My vegan version of Yaki udon noodle sauce is simple, yet fabulous!
WHAT'S IN THE SAUCE?
- Apple cider vinegar
- Soy sauce (or Tamari)
- Maple syrup
- Vegan Worcestershire sauce ( I use Annie's)
- Mirin
- Rice vinegar
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MIRIN AND RICE VINEGAR?
Mirin, although very similar to rice vinegar, is sweet, which enhances the umami flavor. Even though Miran contains sugar, you only need a tiny bit, so it's harmless.
LOOKING FOR A GLUTEN-FREE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE?
Since udon noodles are made with wheat flour, therefore, it is not gluten-free. But, you can use the same ingredients yet switch out the noodles for rice noodles instead.
FAQs
What's the difference between Yaki Udon and Soba?
Yaki Udon noodles are made with flat, fresh, dried, or chilled Udon noodles. Soba, on the other hand, is usually made with oil-coated and steamed wheat noodles.
DO YOU LOVE GREAT PLANT-BASED ASIAN RECIPE? CHECK THESE OUT
- General Tso Cauliflower
- Cabbage Asian Salad
- Kale Asian Pasta Salad
- Vietnamese Noodles
- Lemongrass Tofu Recipe
- Mango Salad
- Asian Salad with Peanut Dressing
- Grilled Asian Sesame Tofu with Vegetable Slaw
- Asian Coleslaw
- Spicy Thai Vegan Drunken Noodles with Seared Tofu
- Peanut Noodle Salad
- Peanut Thai Dressing
- Carrot Ginger Dressing
- Yum Yum Noodles
- Oil-Free Fried Rice Recipe
Now you know how to make yaki udon noodles, share this amazing udon noodles recipe with your family and friends.
📖 Recipe
Yaki Udon Noodles
Equipment
Ingredients
- 14 ounces KA-ME Stir Fry Noodles or udon noodles of choice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 white onion cut into thin slivers
- 16 ounces mushrooms sliced
- 12 ounces Boca Original Crumbles or 2 cups cooked brown lentils, or 7 ounces baked or grilled tofu (cubed)
- ½ cup fresh Thai basil leaves
Yaki Noodle Sauce
- 4 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 4 Tablespoons soy sauce or Tamari
- 2 Tablespoons Maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons Mirin
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Vegan Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
Preparing the noodles
- Remove the noodles from the package and make two slits with a knife in each package.
- Then, microwave both for 30 seconds
- Remove the noodles from the bag and place them in a colander and rinse with water, carefully pulling the noodles apart with your hands.
- Set aside.
Vegetables and Sauce
- Whisk all the sauce ingredients together and set aside.
- Using a Wok or large deep skillet with thick edges, saute the garlic and onion until the onion is translucent.
- Next, add the mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms are browned
- Add protein choice, and saute until cooked through or skip this step if not using protein.
- Add the drained noodles and toss for 1 minute, then pour in the sauce, and cook for 1 more minute.
- Serve with Thai basil as a garnish.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
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