This Vegan Yaki Udon dish is so packed full of flavor! Tender and chewy udon noodles are in a stir fry with fresh vegetables and a sweet sauce for a perfect weeknight meal.
Make the perfect weeknight dinner with this easy recipe! Just chop up whatever veggies you may have on hand, make a quick sauce, and cook it all with some udon noodles!
Savory, sweet, and slightly tangy, vegan yaki udon is full of umami flavor! This one is made vegan with a few swaps like using Vegan Oyster Sauce instead of regular, and omitting the meat!
Unlike Ramen Noodle Soup or Ramen Stir Fry, udon noodles are thick, chewy, and soft! Feel free to customize this to your liking by adding things like crumbled tofu or some hot sauce.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Customizable - Don't like mushrooms? Don't add them! Want it spicier? Add some hot sauce! Feel free to have fun with this recipe and experiment to make it just how you like it!
- Easy - Aside from some chopping of vegetables, this udon noodle recipe couldn't be easier! One pan, quick sauté.
- Flavorful - This is the perfect meal for a large party or family because it is so packed full of flavor without being difficult!
What you need for this recipe
Ingredients and substitutions:
- Udon Noodles - Fresh udon noodles soaked in hot water, or dried udon noodles pre-boiled until soft.
- Ketchup - For the yaki udon sauce, ketchup gives a nice sweetness and tanginess.
- Toasted Sesame Oil - I love adding this to the sauce, but it can be omitted if you don’t have it
- Vegetarian Mushroom Oyster Sauce - OR Vegan Worcestershire sauce. If neither can be found, use a mix of hoisin sauce and more soy sauce.
- Vegetables - Red bell pepper, cabbage, carrot, broccoli, garlic, and ginger.
- Shiitake Mushrooms - Dried and soaked or fresh.
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Prepare ingredients
Begin by prepping all of the necessary ingredients.
Either soak the udon if using fresh, or boil and drain dry udon noodles. Set aside.
Slice the carrot into matchsticks or julienne slices about about 2-inches long.
Finely mince the garlic, grate the ginger, and slice the onion longways, thinly.
Slice the bell pepper into long, thin strips.
Cut broccoli into small, bite-sized florets.
Finely shred the cabbage.
Step 2: Make the Sauce
In a mixing bowl or large glass measuring cup, add soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar, vegan mushroom oyster sauce*, grated ginger, and ketchup.
Whisk together until the sugar is dissolved.
Step 3: Stir Fry
Heat a large pan or wok with a high-heat neutral oil like canola.
Once hot, add sliced onions with a pinch of salt and sauté until soft.
Add bell pepper, carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, and minced garlic.
Sauté again on high heat for about 1 minute.
Add shredded cabbage and ½ cup of water to allow the carrots and cabbage to soften.
Once all the water has evaporated, remove about ½ of the vegetables and set aside in a bowl. Drizzle the set aside vegetables with 1 tablespoon soy sauce.
Step 4: Finishing Touches
Once the vegetables still in the pan are cooked, soft, and lightly browned, add the soaked/boiled and drained udon noodles.
Pour in the sauce and carefully toss/sauté until the noodles are heated through and the sauce is absorbed.
Add the separate bowl of vegetables back into the pan and toss everything together, careful not to break the udon noodles.
Separate into two bowls for serving, garnish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds.
Expert Tips and Tricks:
- If you can't find vegan oyster sauce OR vegan Worcestershire sauce, try mixing 1 tablespoon of soy sauce with ½ tablespoon ketchup and ½ tablespoon sugar OR hoisin sauce to get a similar flavor.
- If you don't have all of the vegetables, feel free to substitute or add any that you have on hand and enjoy. I think that bok choy or spinach would be good in this, as well as snow peas or green beans.
- Store any leftover vegan yaki udon in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, or freeze it for up to 1 month. Re-heat by sautéing with a small amount of oil and water.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, typically, udon noodles are just made from flour and water (as are many asian noodles), and don't include egg. They are not usually gluten-free.
While both yaki soba and yaki udon are very similar, they are made with different kinds of noodles. Soba noodles are thinner and often made with buckwheat, making them gluten free. Udon is a thicker, chewier, flour-based noodle.
While this dish would be delicious with any kind of noodle, it would no longer be considered "Yaki Udon." That being said, I think that soba noodles, ramen noodles, or rice noodles would be a good substitution if necessary.
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Vegan Yaki Udon
Equipment
- Large pan or Wok
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Canola oil or other neutral oil
- ½ White onion sliced longways
- 1 cup Shiitake mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup Broccoli florets
- ½ Red bell pepper sliced into matchsticks
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- ½ Large carrot julienned
- 1 cup Shredded cabbage or ¼ head of cabbage
- ½ cup Water
- 2 packs/servings Fresh udon noodles (about 400g)
- Sliced scallions for garnish
- Sesame seeds for garnish
Sauce Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon Toasted sesame oil
- 3 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar or mirin
- 1 tablespoon Light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon Vegan oyster sauce OR Vegan worcestershire sauce **see notes for alternatives**
- 1 teaspoon Ginger grated
- 2 tablespoon Ketchup
Instructions
- Begin by prepping all of the necessary ingredients.
- Either soak the udon if using fresh, or boil and drain dry udon noodles. Set aside.
- Slice the carrot into matchsticks or julienne slices about about 2-inches long.
- Finely mince the garlic, grate the ginger, and slice the onion longways, thinly.
- Slice the bell pepper into long, thin strips.
- Cut broccoli into small, bite-sized florets.
- Finely shred the cabbage.
- In a mixing bowl or large glass measuring cup, add soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar, vegan mushroom oyster sauce*, grated ginger, and ketchup.
- Whisk together until the sugar is dissolved.
- Heat a large pan or wok with a high-heat neutral oil like canola.
- Once hot, add sliced onions with a pinch of salt and sauté until soft.
- Add bell pepper, carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, and minced garlic.
- Sauté again on high heat for about 1 minute.
- Add shredded cabbage and ½ cup of water to allow the carrots and cabbage to soften.
- Once all the water has evaporated, remove about ½ of the vegetables and set aside in a bowl. Drizzle the set aside vegetables with 1 tablespoon soy sauce.
- Once the vegetables still in the pan are cooked, soft, and lightly browned, add the soaked/boiled and drained udon noodles.
- Pour in the sauce and carefully toss/sauté until the noodles are heated through and the sauce is absorbed.
- Add the separate bowl of vegetables back into the pan and toss everything together, careful not to break the udon noodles.
- Separate into two bowls for serving, garnish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds.
Notes
- If you can't find vegan oyster sauce OR vegan Worcestershire sauce, try mixing 1 tablespoon of soy sauce with ½ tablespoon ketchup and ½ tablespoon sugar OR hoisin sauce to get a similar flavor.
- If you don't have all of the vegetables, feel free to substitute or add any that you have on hand and enjoy. I think that bok choy or spinach would be good in this, as well as snow peas or green beans.
- Store any leftover vegan yaki udon in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, or freeze it for up to 1 month. Re-heat by sautéing with a small amount of oil and water.
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