Are you craving a heartwarming vegan udon soup? This recipe offers you umami-rich kombu dashi stock with chewy udon noodles, the perfect comfort dish for cold days!
Traditional udon noodle soup typically contains non-vegan soup stock (fish-based). However, it can be easily adapted to a vegan version by substituting the traditional dashi with kombu dashi, a plant-based alternative.
Let's dive into making this heartwarming vegan udon soup. I hope you'll find this recipe as comforting and cozy as I do!
- This recipe is for you if:
- You love Japanese udon noodles.
- You want to make vegan udon soup.
- You are looking for a cozy udon noodle recipe.
Let's get started!
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Why This Recipe Works
- It requires less than 10 ingredients and is ready in just 15 minutes!
- You can choose your favorite vegetables or vegan proteins for the toppings.
- This recipe offers a warm, comforting meal, perfect for chilly days.
📋 Ingredients
Here are the ingredients (amounts are in the recipe card below).
- Udon noodles: See below.
- Atsuage (deep-fried tofu), wakame seaweed, and scallions for the toppings. You can substitute atsuage with firm tofu. Also, I'll introduce more topping variations in the later section.
- Kombu dashi powder, salt, mirin, and soy sauce for vegan soup. Dashi, a type of soup stock, is the key ingredient in infusing your soup with savory flavors. To simplify the process, I recommend using store-bought kombu dashi powder. However, if it's unavailable, you can prepare homemade kombu dashi as an alternative.
Udon Noodles
Udon noodles, the classic Japanese noodle made with wheat flour and water, are a staple of Japanese cooking. These thick and white noodles have a chewy texture and can be enjoyed both hot and cold.
You can find udon noodles in different forms - dried, fresh, or frozen - at your local Asian grocery stores. In this recipe, I opt for frozen udon noodles for their quick preparation, requiring just a few minutes of boiling.
Where to Buy Japanese Ingredients
If you live in the US, you can find Japanese ingredients in the list below.
- Japanese market: Mitsuwa Marketplace, Marukai
- Asian market
- Whole Foods Market
- Health food stores
- Online stores: Instacart, Walmart, Amazon
🔪Instructions
Let's go over how to make this vegan udon soup.
1. Place the dried wakame in a small bowl and let it soak for about 5 minutes. Drain the seaweed completely.
2. Slice atsuage and grill for 7 to 10 minutes.
3. Finely chop the scallion.
4. Add water, kombu dashi powder, mirin, soy sauce, and salt in a large pot and bring it to a boil over medium heat.
5. While making the soup, add the udon noodles to a separate pot of boiling water and cook them for about two minutes.
6. Drain using a strainer and quickly rinse under cold water to remove the extra starch.
7. Serve the drained noodles in a bowl and pour the udon soup.
8. Place the atsuage, wakame, and scallions on top.
Serve
Here you go! Enjoy your Vegan Udon Soup while it's still warm. If you like a spicy kick, top it with a sprinkle of shichimi togarashi, a Japanese spice blend.
Helpful tips
- Adjusting Soup Seasoning - If your udon soup is too salty, you can balance it by diluting it with water. Conversely, if it's too mild, add more salt to enhance the flavor.
- Udon noodle cooking time - typically takes a couple of minutes to cook frozen udon noodles and around 10 minutes or more for fresh or dried udon noodles. The cooking time can vary depending on the type and brand of udon noodles, so please follow the package directions.
Vegan Udon Topping Variations
You have the flexibility to add various toppings. Here are some top choices for enhancing your vegan udon soup.
- Green onions (scallion, spring onion)
- Wakame Seaweed
- Spinach
- Agedama - Tempura bits (Crunchy pieces of tempura batter)
- Tororo Kombu - Flakes of kombu seaweed
- Aburaage - Thin deep-fried tofu. Bake on both sides with a toaster to make it
Thanks For Stopping By!
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog♡. If you've tried this recipe (or any other recipe on the blog), please give it a star rating below!
Also, feel free to leave comments if you have any questions. I love hearing from you!
Chef JA Cooks is a Japanese food blog that shares simple and healthy Japanese home cooking recipes, including vegan and vegetarian. From traditional Japanese recipes to modern recipes with step-by-step instructions.
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Udon Soup
Print Pin SaveEquipment
- 1 Medium saucepan 18 cm/7 inches
- 1 Strainer
Ingredients
- 2 packs Udon noodles, about 360g
- 1 tablespoon Dried wakame seaweed
- ½ Atsuage
- ¼ Scallion
Noodle Soup
- 3¼ cup Water, 780ml
- 1 teaspoon Kombu dashi powder, 5g
- 2 tablespoon Mirin
- 2 tablespoon Soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Preparation of Ingredients: Place the dried wakame in a small bowl and let it soak for about 5 minutes. Drain the seaweed completely. Slice atsuage and grill for 7 to 10 minutes. Finely chop the scallion.
- Make the Udon Soup: In a large pot, add water, kombu dashi powder, mirin, soy sauce, and salt and boil over medium heat.
- Boil the Udon Noodles: While making the soup, add the udon noodles to a separate pot of boiling water and cook them for about two minutes.
- Drain the noodles: Drain using a strainer and quickly rinse under cold water to remove the extra starch.
- Serve: Serve the drained noodles in a bowl, pour the soup, and place the atsuage, wakame, and scallions on top. You can top it with shichimi togarashi, a Japanese spice, for an extra kick.
Video
Notes
- Adjusting Soup Seasoning: If your udon soup is too salty, you can balance it by diluting it with water. Conversely, if it's too mild, add more salt to enhance the flavor.
- Udon noodle cooking time typically takes a couple of minutes to cook frozen udon noodles and around 10 minutes or more for fresh or dried udon noodles. The cooking time can vary depending on the type and brand of udon noodles, so please follow the package directions.
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