Savor this steaming bowl of vegetarian udon soup. This recipe features chewy udon noodles and umami-rich kombu broth, perfect for a quick and wholesome meal!
If you are looking for a heartwarming vegetarian udon soup, this recipe is for you! The classic udon noodle soup, known as "kake udon," traditionally features dashi made from bonito flakes. However, you can create a delicious plant-based soup stock alternative with an easy step!
- This recipe is for you if:
- You love Japanese udon noodles.
- You want to make vegetarian udon soup.
- You are looking for a cozy udon noodle recipe.
Let's get started!
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Why This Recipe Works
- This udon soup recipe is easy to make and perfect for a quick weeknight meal.
- You have the flexibility to choose your preferred toppings.
- This recipe offers a warm and hearty meal, making it ideal for cold, chilly days.
📋 Ingredients
Here are the ingredients (amounts are in the recipe card below).
- Udon noodles: See below.
- Egg, spinach, and scallions for the toppings. I'll introduce more topping variations in the later section.
- Kombu dashi powder, salt, mirin, and soy sauce for the noodle soup. Dashi, a type of soup stock, is the main 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 or vegetable broth as a delicious alternative.
Udon Noodles
The popular Japanese noodles, made with wheat flour and water, are a staple of Japanese cuisine. These thick and chewy noodles can be enjoyed both hot and cold.
At Japanese grocery stores or Asian markets, you can find udon noodles in different forms - dried, fresh, or frozen. 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 vegetarian udon soup.
1. Finely chop the scallions.
2. Boil the spinach, drain, and chop it into bite-sized pieces.
3. Boil eggs until cooked to your desired doneness, then cut them in half.
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 running cold water to remove the extra starch.
7. Serve the cooked noodles in a bowl and pour the udon soup.
8. Place the boiled egg, spinach, and scallions on top.
Serve
Here you go! Enjoy your Vegetarian 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 noodles typically take a couple of minutes to cook frozen noodles and around 10 minutes or more for dried or fresh noodles. The cooking time can vary depending on the type and brand of udon noodles, so please follow the package directions.
Topping Variations
You have the flexibility to add various toppings. Here are some choices for enhancing your simple soup.
- Bok choy
- Snow peas
- Green onions
- Bean sprouts
- Mushrooms
- Sesame seeds
- Soft-boiled eggs
- Silken tofu
- Firm tofu
Vegetarian Udon Recipe Variations
- Miso Udon Soup - Enhance your soup with the addition of miso paste for a delightful umami flavor.
- Vegan Udon Noodle Soup - You can easily make your udon noodle soup into a vegan recipe by replacing the boiled egg with a vegan protein alternative.
- Vegetable Yaki Udon - a hearty stir-fried udon noodle dish filled with fresh vegetables, making it a healthy meal choice.
- Miso Udon Carbonara - This recipe is an absolute must-try for you if you love creamy udon dishes.
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
Easy Vegetarian Udon Soup (Japanese Noodle Recipe)
Print Pin SaveEquipment
- 1 Medium saucepan 18 cm/7 inches
- 1 Strainer
Ingredients
- 2 packs Udon noodles, about 360g
- ¼ Scallion
- A handful Spinach
- 2 Eggs
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: Finely chop the scallion. Boil the spinach, drain, and chop it into bite-sized pieces. Boil eggs until cooked to your desired doneness, then cut them in half.
- 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 boiled egg, spinach, 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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