How To Make 30-Minute Vegetarian Udon Noodle Soup

How To Make 30-Minute Vegetarian Udon Noodle Soup

by Megumi Moriya

Udon Noodles Vegetarian Customizable
If you are a vegan and want to try udon, you might face the challenge of it containing animal-derived ingredients. Typically, udon is made with dashi soup stock, which contains dried bonito flakes. Additionally, udon is often served with ingredients like meat, seafood and eggs. If you’re looking to eschew these ingredients and want a hearty vegetarian udon dish, this article is the perfect guide.

In this article, we are going to introduce vegetarian udon with bok choy and other vegan-friendly ingredients.

We chose bok choy for its crunchiness, which adds a nice balance to the dish and offers a variety of textures in each bite. To preserve the texture and enhance its flavor, it is quickly stir-fried with sesame oil. The key to making the bok choy topping is speed.

We also chose wakame seaweed, Japanese leek and deep-fried tofu cutlet (atsuage) as additional toppings.

The atsuage provides a good source of protein. It’s grilled in the toaster oven to make it crispier. If you can’t find atsuage, you can substitute it with regular tofu or deep-fried tofu (aburaage).

For the dashi, we are using dried kombu seaweed. Usually, dashi soup used for udon is made with both dried kombu and bonito flakes. However, in this recipe, we use only kombu, which gives a mild yet elegant flavor and provides umami to the dish.

Why not try this vegetarian udon for a quick lunch? And feel free to let us know in the comments below what vegan ingredients you prefer to combine with udon!
Overview

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Total servings: 1

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
  • 190g Pre-boiled Udon Noodles
  • 300ml Water
  • 4g Dried Kombu Seaweed
  • 1.5 Tbsp Soy Sauce
  • 1.5 Tbsp Mirin
  • 1 tsp Sugar
  • 15g Wakame Seaweed
  • 1 tsp Sesame Oil
  • a pinch of Salt
  • White Sesame Seeds as needed
  • 60g Deep-fried Tofu Cutlet (Atsuage)
  • 5 cm Japanese Leek
  • 40g Bok Choy
  • 2 Tbsp Sesame Oil (for topping)
  • Shredded Chili Pepper (optional)

Expert's Tip

How To Make 30-Minute Vegetarian Udon Noodle Soup

We introduced pre-boiled udon in this recipe, but dried udon is also popular in Japan. Dried udon is convenient and has a longer shelf life. Additionally, if you are gluten-conscious, this product is perfect for you. We recommend keeping a few packages in your pantry for quick and easy meals.

Instructions

1) Gathering the Ingredient and Preparing Kombu Dashi

Gather the ingredients together. Combine dried kombu seaweed and water beforehand. Let it soak for at least 30 minutes.

2) Preparing Kombu Dashi and Making Soup

Prepare a pot and add the dried kombu seaweed and water from step 1. 

Place the pot on the stove and heat it over medium heat until the water temperature reaches about 80℃. Remove the kombu, and your kombu dashi is ready. Make sure not to let it boil before removing the kombu.

Then add soy sauce, mirin and sugar to the pot and set aside. Heat before serving.

3) Seasoning Wakame Seaweed

Prepare a bowl and add wakame seaweed. Season it with sesame oil, salt and white sesame seeds.

4) Grilling the Atsuage

Grill the atsuage in the toaster oven until the surface becomes crispy. Then slice it as you prefer.

5) Cutting the Japanese Leek

Place a Japanese leek on the cutting board and make a straight cut in the middle. Take out the inside and spread the outer layers. Cut them into thin julienne strips. Then, soak them in water.

After 10 minutes, drain the water and remove the excess water with a paper towel. Your shiraga-negi is ready.

6) Preparing Bok Choy

Cut the bok choy lengthwise. Prepare a frying pan and add the sesame oil. Then, stir-fry the bok choy quickly. Sprinkle a pinch of salt.

7) Boiling the Udon Noodles

Prepare a pot and pour enough water to cover the udon noodles. Boil them for the time indicated on the package.

Once cooked, drain the water.

8) Serving

Combine all the ingredients in one bowl. Enjoy!

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