Vegan Udon Noodles with Shiitake & Pak Choi
You can’t go wrong with a bowl full of vegan udon noodles. This combination of ingredients delivers the five basics tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami, giving a great balance of flavours.
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This simple noodle dish is flavoursome and sweet, with some great earthy undertones from the shiitake mushrooms and soy sauce.
What are udon noodles?
Udon noodles are made from wheat flour and are completely vegan.
Other than using different flours, they are much thicker than your regular rice noodles which are longer and more spindly.
They are chewy and soft and have a very mild flavour, so they’re great for absorbing and bringing out the flavours of many sauces and seasonings.
They’re often used in Japanese cuisine in broths and soup like dishes. There are many dishes that use udon noodles and the recipe below is a fantastic combination of both sweet and rustic flavours, thanks to the shiitake mushrooms.
What is pak choi?
Pak choi is a leafy chinese cabbage leaf, often used in soups and stir frys.
It has many health benefits, such as vitamin C and vitamin E, which are both important for your body’s healing process and are what aids strong bones, a healthy brain and skin.
You can use all the parts of pak choi, including the stalk which is crunchy.
The vegetable tastes slightly nutty and lies somewhere in between spinach and cabbage. It’s easy to cook and can be both steamed and stir fried. You can even eat it raw in salads.
Stir frying tips
We recommend using a wok to create this mouth-watering dish. A wok is faultless for stir frying as it allows the food to be cooked evenly, with the heat being focused at the centre of the pan. Because of this even distribution of heat, it fries the food quickly and efficiently too.
There’s a reason it’s called ‘stir frying’ – you need to constantly stir. This ensures the food doesn’t get stuck to the bottom of the pan and burn.
The recipe requires a medium to high heat, so you don’t want to leave the ingredients sitting for too long. Ensure your ingredients are prepared and easy to toss in so you can work quickly.
Total Time: 20 minutes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Calories: 510
Servings: 2
Rating:
Total Time: 20 minutes
Calories: 510
Servings: 2
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
(Servings: 2)
- 0.5 0.5 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 1 cloves garlic, puréed
- 0.5 0.5 red pepper, sliced
- 50 50 g shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 0.5 0.5 tbsp maple syrup
- 150 150 g cooked udon noodles
- 0.5 0.5 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 0.5 0.5 tsp Chinese Five Spice
- 1 1 heads pak choi, chopped
- 2 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 0.5 0.5 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Method
- In a large frying pan or wok, heat the sesame oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the ginger, garlic, Chinese 5 spice, red pepper, pak choi, and shiitake mushrooms.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables start to cook.
- Pour in the soy sauce, maple syrup, and rice wine vinegar and cook for a further 1-2 minutes, until the vegetables are coated.
- Add the udon noodles, mix well, and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
- Finish by sprinkling with sesame seeds, and enjoy!
Each 586g serving provides:
18g Fat, 2.6g Saturates, 73g Carbohydrate, 14g Sugars, 9g Fibre, 16g Protein, 5.2g Salt.
Need another speedy meal? Check out these easy vegan meal ideas!
