Vegan Yaki Udon (Japanese Stir Fried Noodles)

Do you know the yaki udon? These are Japanese stir fried noodles seasoned with a sauce based on soy sauce. I love this dish because it is, even though it doesn’t look like it, very simple to make, quick and healthy at the same time if you serve it with a lot of vegetables! Here is my recipe for Vegan Yaki Udon (Japanese Stir Fried Noodles).

Where do yaki udon come from?

Yaki Udon are Japanese stir fried noodles sautéed with vegetables, meat and a richly flavored sauce made from soy sauce. These noodles are traditionally served in Japan as street food or in Japanese bars.

It is an easy dish to prepare and especially quick to make once all the ingredients are prepared because the cooking time is only a few minutes.

How to prepare yaki udon?

If you are not yet used to Asian cuisine, this dish may seem a bit complicated. But you don’t have to worry, yaki udon are super simple to prepare and within everyone’s reach!

The most important thing in this recipe is to take the time to prepare the ingredients. Once you start cooking, the yaki udon are ready in a few minutes. Here are some tips to make your yaki udon a success.

1. Prepare the ingredients : Before you start stir friying the yaki udon, it is imperative to prepare your ingredients well: cut the vegetables, mix the sauces and place everything next to the pan or your wok on your work surface.
2. Cook the udon noodles: Start then by cooking your udon noodles. Check the directions on your package but in general they should cook for 3 minutes in boiling water.
3. Runthe udon under cold water : To stop the cooking process, run the cooked and drained udon under cold water so that they don’t stick while you prepare the rest.
4. Choose a large frying pan or wok: It is important to have a large frying pan or wok to cook your yaki udon so that the ingredients are well seared. Your frying pan or wok must be very hot, but the cooking time is only a few minutes.
5. Fry the ingredients in order: Once your pan or wok is hot, add a drizzle of neutral oil such as sunflower oil or rice oil, then fry the ingredients in the order indicated in the recipe. Finish by adding the noodles and sauce to your wok or pan. And it’s done!

Find the detailed recipe below.

More Asian recipes

• Stir-Fried Napa Cabbage with Soy Sauce
• Vegetarian Curry with Roasted Cauliflower
• Bun Nem with Prawns
• Teriyaki Bowl with Tofu (vegan)

Recipe for Vegan Yaki Udon (Japanese fried noodles)

For yaki udon

• 400 g of udon noodles
• 250 g plant-based minced meat
• 2 carrots, cut into thin slices
• 4 spring onions
• 200 g shiitakee mushrooms
• 200 g of bean sprouts
• 2 bok choy
• Sesame seeds

For the sauce

• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce (30 ml)
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce (30 ml)
• 2 tablespoon of mirin (15 ml)
• 1 tablespoons oyster sauce (30 ml)
• 1 tablespoon of sesame oil (15 ml)

Are you missing an ingredient? Here are some tips on how to substitute certain ingredients.

Preparation

Cook the udon noodles as directed on the package, then drain them and run them under cold water to stop cooking.

Mix all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.

Coarsely chop the white part of the spring onions. Chop the green part finely and reserve for decoration. Cut the carrots into thin slices.

In a very hot pan, pour a drizzle of neutral oil. Add the meat and sauté for 2 minutes. Then add the carrots and sauté for 2 minutes.

Then add the shiitake mushrooms, the white part of the spring onions and the bok choy. Stir well to prevent the vegetables from sticking to the pan.

Then add the bean sprouts and sauté for 1 minute. To finish, add the udon noodles. Finish by pouring the sauce. Stir well and fry for another minute.

Serve the udon noodles with sesame seeds and green spring onions as decoration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I substitute some of the ingredients ?

As with every blog post, here are some tips for substituting ingredients in this recipe:

• Udon noodles: If you don’t have udon noodles on hand, you can replace them with spaghetti. You can also use soba noodles, with buckwheat, and you will get yaki soba, another famous Japanese noodle dish.
• Ground vegetable meat: You can replace ground vegetable meat with ground tofu.
• Carrots, Bok Choy: You can replace the carrots and bok choy with other vegetables such as blanched broccoli or edamame.
• Shiitake: You can replace the shiitake with button mushrooms.
• Oyster sauce: You can replace the oyster sauce with a little soy sauce mixed with a pinch of sugar or hoisin sauce.

How long can vegan yaki udon be kept in the refrigerator?

These vegan yaki udon can be kept for three days in the refrigerator in a closed container.

Can I prepare these vegan yaki udon in advance?

Yes, you can prepare these yaki udon in advance and reheat them. I don’t recommend it because the essence of this dish is to eat the freshly fried yaki udon.

However, you can prepare all your ingredients a few hours in advance and fry the yaki udon just before serving.

Can we freeze these vegan yaki udon?

Yes, it is possible to freeze them in a sealed container. They keep for 3 months.

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