There are days when I crave thick chewy udon noodles and rich, thick sauce so this Easy Saucy Udon Noodles recipe was born. The udon noodles are cooked in this thick, flavorful sauce packed with vegetables and protein of your choice. The sauce is inspired by thick Chinese birthday noodle sauces we make at home and is thickened with some corn starch for more body to better coat the noodles.
Cook the noodles according to package instructions.
If using frozen sanuki udon, you can opt to cook this in boiling water until still very chewy or you can microwave the noodles in a microwave safe bowl, cover the bowl, and microwave for 3-4 minutes on high. Do note that this will depend on your microwave settings.
SAUCE
In a medium bowl, mix all the sauce ingredients. Feel free to adjust the measurements depending on your desired taste.
STIR-FRY
For the soy chunks, I simply soaked these in room temperature water overnight. You can also soak it hot water for 30 minutes until rehydrated. Slice the soy chunks into smaller chunks or strips.
Heat a large wok or skillet over medium heat. Add the oil.
Once hot, add the onion. Stir-fry until translucent, 30 seconds.
Add the carrot and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the soy chunks or protein and other vegetables of choice. Stir-fry until the vegetables are tender. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper, to taste.
Mix the sauce again to ensure the starch doesn’t stick at the bottom of the bowl. Pour the sauce into the wok/skillet with vegetables.
Mix well and allow the sauce to come to as gentle simmer over medium heat. When it starts to boil, carefully stir until the sauce thickens from the starch.
Add in the cooked udon noodles. Mix well with the sauce.
Add the garlic chives or green onions, if using. Taste the noodles and feel free to season with more soy sauce or vegetarian oyster sauce if needed, to taste.
Turn off the heat. Finish the udon with a generous drizzle of sesame oil. Garnish with chopped green onions, if desired.
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