This Easy Udon Noodle Bowl with Kimchi is a simple healthy one-dish meal that can be prepared in 20 minutes! This bowl meal is flavorful and packed with nutrients, thanks to chard, tofu, and rich udon noodles. In addition, this appetizer uses the flavor of the Korean classic, fermented kimchi (kimchee), to give it a spicy-sour taste that fully fuels this recipe. Although I’m not an expert on Korean food, I really appreciate this beautiful, plant-based food tradition and used many traditional ingredients in this recipe. If you want to know more about this traditional diet, check out the work of my friend and colleague, Maggie Moonwho is a Korean American food and nutrition expert.
Try this completely vegan Easy Udon Noodle Bowl with Kimchi! If you don’t have chard, you can substitute it with any hardy green such as spinach, kale or mustard greens. What about udon vs soba noodles in this recipe? While you can easily substitute soba noodles for udon noodles, the main difference is that udon noodles are made from wheat and are usually softer and thicker noodles, while soba noodles are made from buckwheat and are slightly thinner.
Nutrition Notes
This simple noodle bowl recipe is packed with nutrients, complimented by tofu, vegetables, kimchi, and udon noodles. You’ll get a good source of plant-based protein, carbohydrates, fiber, minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals in this one-bowl meal. Another great plus for this nutritionally balanced meal is that it includes fermented foods through kimchi, which is a great healthy addition to your diet to promote a healthy gut microbiome, which can boost your immune system and the health of your digestive system. This recipe contains gluten, but by substituting udon noodles for rice or soba noodles, you can make it gluten-free.
What is Kimchi?
Kimchi is a traditional Korean fermented vegetable dish that uses napa cabbage or Korean radish and spices such as gochugaru, green onions, garlic and ginger. How to eat kimchi? What to eat Kimchi with? Kimchi is commonly used as an addition to soups and stews, and is delicious as a seasoning for many recipes, including pasta and rice. What does kimchi taste like? It has a fermented sour taste, along with a spicy kick from the ingredients included in the kimchee recipe. Where to buy kimchi? I can find it in most well-stocked supermarkets today, and you can certainly find it in Asian markets. It is stored in the refrigerator.
Step by step guide:
Description
Kimchi gives a healthy kick to this vegan Easy Udon Noodle Bowl with Kimchi packed with the goodness of noodles, scallion, vegetables and tofu. Put it on the table in 20 minutes. Make it gluten-free by swapping the noodles for gluten-free rice or soba noodles.
- 1 Package (9.5 oz.). udon noodles
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, sliced
- 2 stalks of celery, sliced
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 package (15 oz.). extra firm tofuinto cubes
- 1 mug canned light coconut milkMix well
- 3 tablespoons reduced sodium, gluten free soy sauce
- 1 small bunch of Swiss chard, sliced
- 1 mug ready spicy kimchichopped*
- ¼ cup peanuts
Garnish (optional):
- Bring one medium saucepan water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions (do not overcook). Rinse with cold water and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat sesame oil in a wok.
- Add the onion, carrots, celery, ginger and garlic and stir for 3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of water and continue to stir for about 7 minutes, until crisp.
- Add tofu, coconut milk, soy sauce, chard, kimchi, peanuts, and cooked, drained noodles. Fry for another 2 minutes, until the Swiss chard is wilted but bright green and the mixture is heated through.
- Garnish with chili oil and cilantro, if desired.
- Makes 6 servings (about 1 2/3 cups each).
Notes
*Look for ready-made kimchi in the refrigerated section of specialty markets, such as health food stores and Asian supermarkets.
To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute gluten-free noodles, such as rice noodles.
Learn how to press tofu here.
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
- Cooking time: 13 minutes
- Category: Entrance
- Kitchen: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 2/3 fl
- Calories: 323
- Sugar: 3 gr
- Sodium: 366 mg
- Fat: 13 gr
- Saturated fat: 4 gr
- Carbohydrates: 38 gr
- Fiber: 3 gr
- Protein: 15 gr
Keywords: vegan asian dish, vegan asian recipe, vegan asian dinner
For more pasta dishes, check out some of my favorites:
Noodle Bowl with Thai tofu and vegetables
Thai Noodle Tempeh Stir Fry
Vegan Pho with Tofu
Soba Noodles Seaweed Salad
Easy Soba Noodles with Peanuts and Seitan
Shirataki Noodle Salad with Ginger Sesame dressing
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