This Creamy Mushroom Udon is vegan, dairy-free, nut-free, and super comforting! This recipe is a fusion of my love for creamy pasta dishes and umami-packed Japanese ramen and noodles. This recipe doesn’t use cream nstead uses milk for a lighter yet still creamy finish so it’s rich but not too heavy—just right for my liking.
WHICH MUSHROOMS ARE BEST TO USE?
I used a mix of fresh shiitake and white shimeji mushrooms add a lot of umami, texture, and flavour to these noodles. You’re however free to use other mushrooms such as cremini, portobello, oyster, king oyster, and anything, really!
WHAT ARE UDON NOODLES?
Udon is a type of Japanese noodles that are distant for the thickness and chewiness. These are wheat noodles.
I really recommend frozen udon noodles for this miso udon recipe.
If you can get your hands on frozen udon then that’s great because these are a lot chewier and don’t break as easily compared to those instant ones that come in packets. I purchase Sanuki Udon from my local Japanese grocery. You can also find these in other Asian stores.
You can also of course use dried udon noodles and cook this according to package instructions, though of course the texture will be a bit different since fried udon is also thinner.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE THIS CREAMY MUSHROOM UDON
You can find the full and printable recipe in the recipe card below.
NOODLES
- 2 servings udon or other noodles of choice
MUSHROOM UDON
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 green onion white and green parts separated
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 8 shiitake mushrooms sliced
- 150 g shimeji mushrooms based chopped then separated (1 pack)
- 1 tbsp sake or mirin optional
- 3/4 cup unsweetened oat milk or soy milk see notes
- 1/2 tbsp white miso paste
- 1-2 tbsp soy sauce or to taste
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce optional for colour and extra umami
- Ground pepper
SLURRY
- 1 tsp corn starch
- 2 tsp room temp water
TO FINISH
- Green parts of green onion for garnish
TO MAKE THIS NOODLE RECIPE
COOK THE MUSHROOMS AND PREPARE THE SAUCE
- Heat a large wok or skillet over medium.
- Once hot, melt the vegan butter.
- Add in the white parts of the green onion and cook for 1 minute. Add in the minced garlic and cook until aromatic.
- Add in the mushrooms into the wok or skillet and mix with the onions, garlic, and butter.
- Leave the mushrooms untouched for 2-3 minutes over medium high heat to allow to lightly brown before mixing and allowing the other sides of the mushrooms to lightly brown. Cooking the mushrooms in high heat is essential so they don’t release much water and turn soggy when cooked slowly on low heat.
- Once the mushrooms have a nice sear and lightly brown sides, add in the sake or mirin (if using) and then turn up to heat to allow for the alcohol to evaporate.
- Pour in the plant-based milk of your choice (or cream, see notes), miso paste, and soy sauces.
- Allow the sauce to come to a boil then lower the heat.
ADD IN THE UDON
- Add in the udon or noodles of your choice.
- Mix the noodles to coat in the sauce. Add freshly ground pepper.
- In a small bowl, mix together the corn starch and water to create a slurry.
- Over medium low heat, pour the slurry over the noodles. Mix the noodles and allow the sauce to thicken from the starch.
- Taste the sauce and noodles and season with more soy sauce or salt, to taste, if needed.
- Turn off the heat. Do note that the sauce will continue to thicken once the heat is turned off.
SERVE AND ENJOY
- Mix in the green parts of the green onion into the noodles or use these as garnish.
- This is best enjoyed immediately!
MORE NOODLE RECIPES YOU MIGHT LOVE
- Shoyu Udon
- Cilantro Lime Noodles
- Saucy Ramen Noodles
- Wonton Noodle Soup
- Bun Cha Gio Chay (Vietnamese Noodles and Fried Vegetarian Spring Rolls Bowls)
- Jjajangmyeon (Noodles in Black Bean Sauce)
- Thai Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)
- Easy Spicy Miso Noodles
- Ginger and Scallion Noodles
Creamy Mushroom Udon (Vegan)
This Creamy Mushroom Udon is vegan, dairy-free, nut-free, and super comforting! This recipe is a fusion of my love for creamy pasta dishes and umami-packed Japanese ramen and noodles. This recipe doesn’t use cream nstead uses milk for a lighter yet still creamy finish so it’s rich but not too heavy—just right for my liking.
Ingredients
NOODLES
- 2 servings frozen udon or other noodles of choice (see notes)
MUSHROOM UDON
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 green onion white and green parts separated
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 8 shiitake mushrooms sliced (or other mushrooms of choice)
- 5.2 oz shimeji mushrooms based chopped then separated (1 pack)
- 1 tbsp sake or mirin, optional
- 3/4 cup unsweetened oat milk or soy milk, see notes
- 1/2 tbsp white miso paste
- 1-2 tbsp soy sauce or to taste
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce optional for colour and extra umami
- Ground pepper
SLURRY
- 1 tsp corn starch
- 2 tsp room temp water
TO FINISH
- Green parts of green onion for garnish
Instructions
NOODLES
- I used frozen udon for this recipe. I purchase frozen Sanuki Udon from my local Japanese or Asian grocery since I find that these have the best chewy texture and can be used in many different recipes.
- If using frozen udon, place the noodles in a microwave safe bowl and then cover with heat proof lid. Microwave for 60 seconds on high (or longer, depending on your microwave settings), until separated. If you don’t have a microwave, you can also place the noodles in a pot of boiling water to separate but don’t leave the noodles on for too long to prevent from overcooking.
- If using instant cooked udon noodles (in vacuum-sealed pouches), soak the udon noodles in some hot water or cook and prepare these according to package instructions. Carefully separate the noodles and then drain the water.
- You can also use other noodles of your choice but I would really recommend to use wheat noodles for this recipe. Prepare the noodles according to package instructions until chewy or al dente.
- Once your noodles are ready, set these aside for cooking with the mushrooms later on.
COOKING
- Heat a large wok or skillet over medium.
- Once hot, melt the vegan butter.
- Add in the white parts of the green onion and cook for 1 minute. Add in the minced garlic and cook until aromatic.
- Add in the mushrooms into the wok or skillet and mix with the onions, garlic, and butter.
- Leave the mushrooms untouched for 2-3 minutes over medium high heat to allow to lightly brown before mixing and allowing the other sides of the mushrooms to lightly brown. Cooking the mushrooms in high heat is essential so they don’t release much water and turn soggy when cooked slowly on low heat.
- Once the mushrooms have a nice sear and lightly brown sides, add in the sake or mirin (if using) and then turn up to heat to allow for the alcohol to evaporate.
- Pour in the plant-based milk of your choice (or cream, see notes), miso paste, and soy sauces.
- Allow the sauce to come to a boil then lower the heat.
- Add in the udon or noodles of your choice.
- Mix the noodles to coat in the sauce. Add freshly ground pepper.
- In a small bowl, mix together the corn starch and water to create a slurry.
- Over medium low heat, pour the slurry over the noodles. Mix the noodles and allow the sauce to thicken from the starch.
- Taste the sauce and noodles and season with more soy sauce or salt, to taste, if needed.
- Turn off the heat. Do note that the sauce will continue to thicken once the heat is turned off.
- Mix in the green parts of the green onion into the noodles or use these as garnish.
- Serve and enjoy while hot.
Notes
UDON/NOODLES
- I really recommend frozen udon noodles for this miso udon recipe.
- If you can get your hands on frozen udon then that’s great because these are a lot chewier and don’t break as easily compared to those instant ones that come in packets. I purchase Sanuki Udon from my local Japanese grocery. You can also find these in other Asian stores.
MISO PASTE
- I use white miso paste for this recipe because I love the sweet note it has. You’re free to use other miso paste and adjust the seasoning to your taste since some miso pastes such as red miso paste are fermented longer and have stronger flavour.
- Can I skip the miso paste? Yes you can but I really recommend to add some if you have miso paste since it adds to the depth in flavour and gives extra umami to this recipe.
PLANT MILK
- I recommend to use unsweetened soy, oat, or even almond milk for this recipe since using flavoured/sweetened plant milks can completely change the flavour of the dish and overpower it.
- I also personally prefer soy or oat milk since these are much thicker and creamier than almond milk, which is sometimes watery.
- Can I use vegan/dairy-free cream? Yes you can!
NUTRITIONAL INFO
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 493kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 2190mg | Potassium: 636mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 783IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 165mg | Iron: 2mg
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This Post Has 4 Comments
This was wonderful! This was creamy, but not too heavy just like you said. I used hoisin sauce instead of dark soy sauce and switched out one of the mushrooms, but otherwise followed exactly and it turned out great! Thanks so much for such a yummy recipe. I’m excited to try more of yours.
Thanks so much Becca! Hoisin sauce is a great addition! It’s not a direct sub to dark soy sauce but I can imagine the extra flavour it gives. Thanks so much for giving this a try!! ◡̈
Easy and tasty! 🙂
Thanks so much Sabrina, hope you enjoyed it!! ◡̈