This Teriyaki Udon with Vegetables recipe is a delicious and nutritious meal that’s ready in about 20 minutes, plus it’s vegetarian and only uses one pan. What more could you ask for on a busy weeknight?
This recipe is both simple and versatile. We love it hot and fresh for dinner served with some crispy tofu or chilled the next day for lunch. While we include cabbage, carrots and broccoli in this recipe, there’s plenty of room to swap in other vegetables and add your protein of choice.
Ingredients that Matter
You’ll need to a trip to the grocery store for this recipe, but all ingredients should be readily available in most markets:
- Udon Noodles. This Japanese wheat noodle is round and thick. They are often quite tender, making them ideal in soups and stir-fries. You’ll find thick udon sold in the freezer and refrigerated section of your grocery store. Or you may find them vacuum packed on a shelf. There’s a surprising amount of options! And, finally, you can find thinner, dried udon noodles. For this recipe, use the thick udon, either frozen, refrigerated or vacuum packed and cook according to package instructions.
- Teriyaki Sauce. We make a quick homemade teriyaki sauce with reduced-sodium soy sauce, mirin (a low alcohol rice wine similar to sake), brown sugar and aromatics like garlic, ginger and scallions. It’s thickened with a simple cornstarch slurry (equal parts water and cornstarch). You could use store-bought teriyaki, but this homemade version is super simple and delicious!
- Vegetables. We like our stir-fried noodles to have a variety of textures, so we use cabbage, carrots and broccoli. The cabbage becomes super tender, almost melting into the noodles, while the carrots and broccoli keep a good tender-crisp texture.
How to Make Teriyaki Udon with Vegetables
This teriyaki udon with vegetables comes together quickly and quite easily. Use a wok (if you have it) or a large skillet.
Make the teriyaki sauce by heat oil in a wok or skillet and cook the garlic, ginger and scallions just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then add the soy sauce, mirin and brown sugar and cook for one minute. Then add the cornstarch slurry and boil for about 30 seconds. That’s it! Transfer the sauce to a small bowl. No need to clean out the wok or skillet after making the sauce.
Add more oil and cook the broccoli for about one minute, then add the cabbage and cook another minute or two until starting to wilt. Finally, add the carrots and stir-fry for about one more minute until just starting to soften.
Now move the vegetables to the side and add the udon noodles (if using frozen, be sure to follow package instructions to precook as needed). Then add ¼ cup of water and cover the wok or skillet. Cook for two minutes then gently toss to break up the noodles.
Finally, add the teriyaki sauce and cook, gently stirring frequently, until the noodles and vegetables are well coated. You can add a bit more water to loosen the noodles, as needed. Serve topped with sesame seeds.
Serving Suggestions
This simple recipe is a perfect base for adding your protein of choice. We like to eat stir-fried noodles with crispy tofu but you could also add cooked and shredded chicken or sliced beef. Keep it vegan by adding tempeh or seitan. Here’s some other serving suggestions:
- Try this recipe served cold. Leftovers make for a delicious lunch. Simply store in an airtight container for up to three days.
- Add more veggies. Try adding sliced snow peas, green peas, bean sprouts, bell peppers, onions, etc.
- Add some heat! Teriyaki sauce tends to be sweet and salty, so adding a bit of heat can make the dish really pop. Try adding a couple teaspoons of chili-garlic sauce or a big pinch of cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes.
- No wok? No problem! Use a large skillet instead. A standard stainless steel skillet, cast iron or even nonstick skillet will work just fine. If using nonstick, however, be sure not to heat the pain higher than medium-high or you could damage the pan.
- Serve the noodles with simple sliced cucumbers or radishes for a crunchy side.
Teriyaki Sauce
This Japanese sauce is packed with salty umami flavor from soy sauce and mirin. As it’s become more and more popular in the west over the years, versions now may include garlic, ginger and more sweeteners. We use brown sugar as we like the complexity of the molasses flavor.
Whenever using soy sauce we recommend using reduced-sodium, when possible. Soy sauce has a ton of sodium and using a reduced-sodium version can really help limit added sodium. Feel free to use tamari (gluten free soy sauce) if you prefer, though this recipe is obviously not gluten free with the udon noodles.
Teriyaki sauce works well on a variety of proteins, from grilled chicken and steak, to crispy tofu and tempeh. The version we use in this recipe is thick so it sticks well to the noodles. If you want to use this version for other applications, like as a sauce for protein, cut the cornstarch slurry in half.
More Vegetarian Dinner Ideas
PrintRecipe
Teriyaki Udon with Vegetables
- Total Time: 20 min.
- Yield: 5 cups 1x
Description
This Teriyaki Udon with Vegetables recipe is a delicious and nutritious meal that’s ready in about 20 minutes, plus it’s vegetarian and only uses one pan. What more could you ask for on a busy weeknight?
Ingredients
Teriyaki Sauce
- 1 Tbsp. olive or vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 scallions, minced
- â…“ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. mirin
- 1 Tbsp. light brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch with 1 Tbsp. water
- 2–4 Tbsp. water, as needed
Udon and Vegetables
- 3 Tbsp. olive or vegetable oil, divided
- 1 medium head broccoli, cut into small florets, tough stem discarded
- 2 cups shredded green cabbage
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 1 (14 oz.) package udon noodles (see note)
- ¼ cup water, plus more as needed
- sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
Teriyaki Sauce
- To make the sauce, heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger and scallions and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add soy sauce, mirin and brown sugar and bring to a simmer over medium-high. Cook until reduced slightly, about 1 minute. Stir together cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl until smooth then add to the sauce. Cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Add water until sauce is pourable, but still thick. Transfer mixture to a small bowl. (There’s no need to clean the wok or skillet after making the sauce)
Udon and Vegetables
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in the wok or skillet over medium-high and add the broccoli. Cook, stirring frequently, until bright green, about 30 seconds. Add cabbage and cook, stirring frequently until the cabbage just starts to wilt, another 30 seconds. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the carrots and cook, stirring constantly until the vegetables are just starting to become tender, about 1 minute (adjust heat to avoid burning).
- Move vegetables to the edge of the wok or skillet and add the noodles to the middle along with ¼ cup water. Cover and cook for 2 minutes (if your wok doesn’t have a lid, use a sheet tray). Remove lid and gently stir to separate the noodles, taking care not to break them up.
- Add reserved sauce and gently toss until the noodles and vegetables are well coated. You may need to add some water to loosen the sauce and noodles. Serve garnished with sesame seeds.
Notes
- This recipe tastes great hot or cold. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Makes a great lunch the next day.
- Udon noodles are sold in a vacuum package and are shelf stable, or you’ll find them in the refrigerated or freezer sections. This recipe uses the vacuum package so if using refrigerated or frozen, be sure to cook first according to package instructions.
- If you want to use this teriyaki sauce on its own as a sauce for a protein, we suggest cutting the slurry in half as this version is quite thick.
- Try serving with crispy tofu, shredded chicken or thinly sliced beef.
- Add more vegetables like snow peas, green peas, bell peppers, bean sprouts, onions, etc.
- Prep Time: 10 min.
- Cook Time: 10 min.
- Category: Main
- Method: Stir-Fry
- Cuisine: Japanese
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