Yaki Udon with Tofu

Notes:

• You can play around with this recipe however you see fit, adding whatever your preferred veggies or proteins, just make sure you add them in the stages in which they cook to ensure everything remains tender. Ex: carrots and mushrooms take longer to cook than bok choy or spinach, so add the veggies that take the longest first. You can also manage this by cutting the longer cook time vegetables smaller to reduce cooking time – ex: shredded the carrots, cutting the bell peppers into thin strips, etc.
• Veggie Ideas: cabbage, bok choy, mushrooms, carrots, snow peas, broccoli or broccolini/gai lan, bell peppers, spinach
• Protein Ideas: tofu, shrimp, ground turkey/beef/pork, thinly sliced chicken
• Let’s talk noodles. The frozen udon found at Asian grocery stores is my favorite here, because they are thicker and have a great chew. You can also use dried udon, just know the texture will be different. 
• For the sauce. As someone with a pantry stocked to the amount of times we make Asian food, these ingredients are always in my pantry. If you don’t have these sauces, you can make a variation using oyster sauce, soy sauce instead of the dark soy, a bit more white sugar to substitute the sugar in the mirin, rice vinegar, and ginger. While it won’t taste the same, it will still taste good. Adjusted ratios:
  • 3 tbsps regular soy sauce (instead of dark soy sauce)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce 
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar + 1 teaspoon sugar (instead of mirin)
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar
• I used to make the Yaki Udon recipe from NYT Cooking, but found it to be a bit too salty for me and missing some of the flavors from a traditional yaki udon. I have adjusted that recipe quite a bit to make it vegetarian friendly, as well as adjusting the ratios of the sauce. Hope y’all love it as much as I do!

Yaki Udon with Tofu

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• Author: Raquel
• Total Time: 35
• Yield: 2-3 1x

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Description

If you’re looking for a veggie packed meal that’s loaded with flavor, this Yaki Udon with Tofu recipe is going to be your new favorite weeknight dinner! The tofu makes this a great vegetarian high protein option that pairs with the bouncy udon noodles so incredibly well. It’s extremely customizable to whatever veggies or protein you have on hand, and so insanely delicious!

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Ingredients

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For the Yaki Udon:

• 1 lb udon noodles
• 1 block firm tofu
• 2 tbsps cornstarch
• 2 tbsps avocado oil
• 2 medium bok choy, sliced into 2” slices
• 4oz shitake mushrooms, sliced thinly
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 2 scallions, chopped, greens and whites separated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp sesame oil for drizzling noodles
• Sesame seeds and sliced green onion for topping

For the Yaki Udon Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce 
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce (use vegetarian oyster sauce to keep this vegetarian friendly)
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp sake (optional)
• 1 tbsp white sugar
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp grated ginger 

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Instructions

1. Drain the tofu and cut in half lengthwise. Place on paper towels and top with more paper towels, pressing down to remove excess moisture. Set aside while you chop your vegetables and make your sauce.
2. In a small bowl, add the dark soy sauce, regular soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, sake, white sugar, rice vinegar, and ginger and stir to combine. Set aside.
3. Once all your vegetables are cut and prepped, cut the tofu into 1” squares and add to a bowl with the cornstarch. Toss until well coated, being careful to not break up the tofu.
4. Meanwhile, get a pot of boiling water to boiling.
5. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and drizzle in 1 tbsp avocado oil. Once hot, add in the tofu and spread out in an even layer. Cook for about 5 minutes or until slightly golden on one side, then use a spatula to flip. Cook for a few minutes longer until golden on both sides, then transfer to a plate and set aside.
6. Add 1 tbps avocado oil and add in the mushrooms and carrots to the pan. Cook until the moisture from the mushrooms has been released and the carrots are tender. 
7. Add the udon to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions, about 1 minute for the frozen kind. Once cooked, drain and toss with a drizzle of sesame oil to prevent from sticking.
8. Add the noodles to the pan with the sauce and toss, cooking for an additional minute on high heat until the noodles are coated in the sauce. 
9. Finish with sesame seeds and green onion and enjoy!

• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 20
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stir Fry
• Cuisine: Asian