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Vegetarian Udon
4.7 from 56 votes

Vegetarian Udon

Vegetarian Udon features thick wheat noodles served in a homemade dashi broth flavored with kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms. Crispy seasoned eggplant and sweet-savory minced mushrooms add texture and umami depth. Toppings include bok choy and deep-fried firm tofu, making for a satisfying plant-based noodle soup that balances soft noodles with crisp vegetables.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Additional Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
Servings: 2
Calories: 590 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese

Ingredients

For Udon Soup Broth
  • 2½ cups water
  • 1 piece kombu (4 g; roughly 3 x 3 inches or 7.5 x 7.5 cm per piece)
  • 2 pieces dried shiitake mushrooms (17 g, 0.6 oz for the dashi broth and the minced mushrooms below)
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp mirin
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt Diamond Crystal brand
  • 12 oz udon noodles (2 packages of AnnieChun's organic udon noodles)
For the Crispy Seasoned Eggplant
  • 1 Japanese eggplant 126 g, 4.4 oz, or Chinese eggplant
  • 1 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch
  • 3 Tbsp neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
  • 1 Tbsp mirin
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
For the Sweet and Savory Minced Mushrooms
  • 2 shiitake mushrooms (fresh; substitute portobello, king oyster, etc.)
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  • ½ Tbsp sugar
  • 2 Tbsp water (you can add more to cook for a longer time)
For the Toppings
  • 2 bok choy Shanghai variety
  • 3 oz deep-fried firm tofu ½ package, cutlet, atsuage
  • Japanese seven spice optional; for kicking up the flavor, aka shichimi togarashi

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Gather all the ingredients.
To Make Vegan Dashi Broth
  1. In a medium pot or bowl, add 2½ cups water, 1 piece kombu, and 2 pieces dried shiitake mushrooms. Steep for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
To Make the Crispy Seasoned Eggplant
  1. Trim off the ends of 1 Japanese or Chinese eggplant and cut into roughly 2-inch wedges with the skin-on. The skin will hold the shape together. Without the skin, the flesh will become too soft.
  2. As soon as you cut the eggplant, soak them in water to remove astringency. Set aside for 10–15 minutes and dry them with a paper towel.
  3. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch and coat the eggplant nicely.
  4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat (or medium heat on a professional stove). Start frying the eggplant. Do not touch too often. Only flip them when the bottom sides are nicely brown. If they stick to the pan, be patient and wait till the eggplant slice release itself from the bottom when they form a nice crust (but be sure that pan is greased).
  5. If you feel that 3 Tbsp oil is not enough, then add more. Make sure to adjust the heat so it doesn’t take a long time to brown the eggplant. You don’t want overcooked and mushy eggplant.
  6. When the eggplant is golden brown, reduce the heat to medium and season the eggplant with 1 Tbsp mirin and 1 Tbsp soy sauce.
  7. The potato starch (or cornstarch) will thicken the sauce quickly, so flip around to coat the eggplant with the sauce. Then transfer to a plate.
To Prepare the Other Toppings
  1. Cut the 3 oz deep-fried firm tofu cutlet (atsuage) into thin slices.
  2. Cut 2 Shanghai bok choy in half lengthwise.
To Make the Sweet and Savory Minced Mushrooms
  1. Remove the stems of 2 shiitake mushrooms and slice the caps thinly.
  2. Then mince the slices.
  3. Squeeze the liquid out from the dried shiitake mushrooms (keep that liquid for the soup broth) and remove the stems.
  4. Cut the mushroom caps into thin slices and then mince them.
  5. Cut the dried shiitake mushrooms into the same size as fresh shiitake mushrooms.
  6. In a small saucepan, add both mushrooms, ½ Tbsp sugar, and 1 Tbsp soy sauce.
  7. Add 2 Tbsp water and bring it to a simmer. Continue adding water so the bottom of the pot has some liquid.
  8. Simmer until the shiitake mushrooms are tender and absorb the flavors.
To Make the Udon Soup Broth
  1. Transfer the kombu and shiitake dashi broth (including the hydrated kombu) to the saucepan and bring it to a simmer.
  2. Right before boiling, remove the kombu. With a fine-mesh simmer, skim off the foam and scum floating on the surface of the broth.
  3. Add 1 Tbsp mirin, 1 tsp sugar, and 1 Tbsp soy sauce.
  4. Add ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and the fried tofu. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings if needed. Turn off the heat and cover (so it won’t evaporate).
To Blanch the Bok Choy, Cook the Noodles, and Assemble
  1. In a large pot of boiling water, blanch the bok choy just until it turns bright green and tender, about 2 to 2½ minutes, and transfer to a plate. I undercook slightly and so the remaining heat will continue to cook a bit more. For this recipe, I didn‘t “blanch and shock“ for retaining the vegetable color and crunch as I usually do since I wanted to keep the bok choy warm.
  2. Cook or reheat 12 oz udon noodles according to the package instructions.
  3. Drain the udon noodles well and serve them in individual bowls. Divide and serve the fried firm tofu and soup broth.
  4. Top the noodles with blanched bok choy, minced mushrooms, and fried eggplant. Serve immediately with shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) on the side for a spicy kick.

Notes

  • Soak eggplant slices in water immediately after cutting to remove bitterness before coating and frying.
  • Use potato starch or cornstarch to coat eggplant for a crispy browned exterior when fried.
  • Steep kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms for at least 30 minutes or overnight to build flavorful vegan dashi broth.
  • Cook udon noodles separately to avoid overcooking and add just before serving to maintain texture.
  • This recipe is by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook; respect copyright when sharing by re-writing and linking to the original source.

Nutrition Information

Calories 590kcal (30%) Carbohydrates 66g (22%) Protein 16g (32%) Fat 21g (32%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g (12%) Monounsaturated Fat 2g (10%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Sodium 1225mg (51%) Potassium 408mg (9%) Fiber 8g (32%) Sugar 10g (20%) Vitamin A 640IU (13%) Vitamin C 8mg (9%) Calcium 187mg (19%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 2 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 590

% Daily Value*

Calories 590kcal 30%
Carbohydrates 66g 22%
Protein 16g 32%
Fat 21g 32%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 2g 10%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Sodium 1225mg 51%
Potassium 408mg 9%
Fiber 8g 32%
Sugar 10g 20%
Vitamin A 640IU 13%
Vitamin C 8mg 9%
Calcium 187mg 19%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.