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Creamy Mushroom Udon with shiitake and shimeji mushrooms

Creamy Mushroom Udon (Vegan)

5 from 6 votes
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.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian, East Asian, Fusion, Japanese
Servings 2 servings
Calories 493 kcal

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

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!
NOTE: If using cream, skip the corn starch slurry. No need to use the slurry to thicken the sauce since the cream itself is thicker than plant milk, which I used.

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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