Easy Shoyu Udon: One-Bowl Soy Sauce Noodles
This is literally ~the easiest~ one bowl shoyu udon or soy sauce noodles recipe that was actually a spur-of-the-moment creation since I just had a short break from work and wanted a satisfying noodle dish.For this Easy Shoyu Udon: One-Bowl Soy Sauce Noodles, I used instant fresh udon noodles that I keep in the fridge. These noodles are in vacuum-sealed packets and are already cooked so I just soak them in some hot water to carefully separate these and cook them down a bit more. I mixed in all the sauces and seasonings before mixing some sliced tofu in and TA-DA! I had a hearty meal in minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 serving frozen sanuki udon or instant fresh udon noodles (see notes)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or more to taste (see notes)
- 1 tsp dark mushroom soy sauce optional for colour
- 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar or other vinegar
- 1-2 tsp maple syrup or other liquid sweetener for hint of sweetness
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1-2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1-2 tsp chili garlic sauce or chili crisp oil for heat (if desired)—you can also use other chili sauce!
- Chopped scallions
- Sliced baked tofu 5-spice tofu, or smoked tofu (optional)
Instructions
- Place the instant udon noodles in a large heat proof bowl. Pour hot water into the noodles to separate these. Leave the noodles to soak for 3-4 minutes or until chewy to your liking. You can also cover the bowl to keep the steam in. Afterwards, drain the water from the bowl. You can leave some liquid just to help mix everything together better. (See below if using frozen udon)
- If using frozen udon, place a 'brick' of udon in a microwave-safe bowl and cover it with a microwave-safe lid. I microwave the udon noodles for around 2.5 to 3 minutes or until chewy to my liking.
- Add in the soy sauces, vinegar, syrup or other sweeter, sesame oil, sesame seeds, scallions, tofu, and chili garlic sauce/chili crisp oil.
- Mix together until the noodles are well coated. The noodles will also absorb some of the sauces as it sits in the mixture.
- Taste the noodles and feel free to season with more soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, etc, if you’d like, to taste. Enjoy!
WATCH Video
Notes
UDON NOODLES
- Personal preference: I prefer frozen sanuki udon that I microwave in a heatproof bowl (with a lid) because they come out chewier and hold up better.
- Instant udon: I also used vacuum sealed packets of udon that from local Asian stores and usually come in a big bag of 5 udon packs. I find that some of these can be mushy and break apart easily depending on the brand used.
- For frozen sanuki udon, you can check the freezer section for frozen ready-to-heat udon noodles. If you’re using frozen udon noodles, you can microwave these until cooked through.
- I microwave my noodles covered in a microwave-safe bowl with a lid and just mix it mid way through cooking to loosen the noodles.
- I microwave mine for around 2.5 to 3 minutes or until chewy to my liking.
- Udon breaking apart into small pieces? There are some brands of udon that are harder to separate and forcing them can just break these apart into very small pieces. If this is the case, I'd recommend boiling these so they can really soften up to separate easier.
SWEETENER
- You can opt to skip the maple syrup or sweetener. Alternatively, you can also use some sugar but make sure the noodles are still hot so these can dissolve well when mixed in.
SOY SAUCE
- If you're looking for a gluten-free alternative, you can use tamari.
DARK SOY SAUCE
- Dark soy sauce here is mostly for the colour and a very subtle umami flavour. So you can skip it or substitute it for more regular soy sauce.
TOFU AND OTHER TOPPINGS
- I used five spice tofu, that’s very similar to baked tofu, and simple sliced these into thin strips before mixing into the noodles. You can opt to skip these or even add some sliced mushrooms or veggies.
- If using sliced mushrooms or veggies, you can quickly cooked the mushrooms and the noodles in the microwave. It’d be best to cover the bowl to cook these in the steam.
NUTRITIONAL INFO
Calories: 332kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 2426mg | Potassium: 51mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg
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