Life-Changing Udon Noodles
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If you are under the impression you need to spend hours toiling over a pot of bones to make a highly seasoned broth to then make a good bowl of noodles, you must make Hetty McKinnon’s “life-changing” udon noodles from her latest book To Asia, With Love.
The broth is made with three ingredients — vegetable stock, soy sauce, and mirin — and after it comes to a simmer, it’s done. The rest of the broth’s flavor comes from garnishes: a pat of butter, a drizzle of sesame oil, a sprinkling of scallions, a pinch of sea salt, and lots of freshly cracked black pepper. The yolks of soft-boiled eggs impart the broth with a richness, and if you like a bit of spice, a spoonful of Sambal Oeleck or chili paste of choice seasons it further.
I love adding a heap of baby bok choy or other greens to make it a meal. If you like this idea, too, simply add them to the pot of boiling udon noodles, which typically cook in 1-3 minutes — the frozen udon noodles I buy cook in 1 minute, which is all the time most greens need.
Every time I make this soup, I am astounded by how quickly it comes together and by how flavorful and nourishing it is. In the intro to the recipe, Hetty writes that the recipe was inspired by a dish served at Shin Udon in Tokyo, the flavors and textures of which were “life-changing.”
About To Asia With Love
- Something I love about To Asia, With Love are the anecdotes, such as the one mentioned above. Many of the stories in TAWL are rooted in travel and discovery, which I think we all are craving right now.
- Like all of Hetty’s previous three books, To Asia, With Love is beautiful: its design, its photography, its recipes. In Hetty’s newsletter last fall, when she first shared this recipe, she described this book as her “most personal to date,” noting that it is “full of everyday Asian recipes made with simple ingredients (many of which you will already have in your pantry) along with personal stories of growing up in a Chinese household in Sydney.”
- I want to make everything in TAWL, namely the “restaurant greens”, which is my favorite thing to order at Chinese restaurants. I recently made the TAWL pad Thai salad, which was absolutely delicious (photo below). I’ll be sharing that recipe on my Instagram stories tomorrow, so follow along on Instagram if you’d like to try that recipe. I’ll keep it highlighted in my stories.
- There are two ways I keep up with Hetty: her Instagram and her newsletter. She is wonderful.
Friends! I have an extra copy of To Asia, With Love as well as a pair of TAWL chopsticks (photo below) along with some other Asian pantry treats. I’d love to give these goodies to one of you. To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below. Tell me where you will travel first when you get the chance. I’m dying to go to Italy to eat pizza, England to watch soccer games, and Vietnam for noodles. Where do YOU want to go? The giveaway has been closed. The winner is: Sunny. I’ve emailed you. Thanks to all of you for your wonderful comments 💕 Love reading about where we’ll all travel next 💕
PS: Hetty’s Sushi Salad (This recipe comes from Hetty’s last book, Family, and after discovering it, I made it on repeat for weeks. It’s one of my favorites.)
How to Make Life-Changing Noodles
First, get the broth going by combining vegetable stock, soy sauce or tamari, and mirin in a pot. Bring it to a simmer.
Meanwhile, halve small heads of baby bok choy or other greens of choice.
You’ll need udon noodles (or other) noodles for this soup. I can’t recommend buying frozen udon noodles enough. They cook in 1 minute, and couldn’t be more delicious.
What your stovetop will look like: 1 pot for the noodles and greens (if using), 1 pot for the eggs, and 1 pot for the broth.
Cook the eggs for 6 minutes (for very soft boiled eggs) or 7 minutes for less runny soft-boiled eggs. Transfer to an ice bath immediately.
Cook the noodles and greens for 1 to 3 minutes.
Drain.
Transfer greens and noodles to a bowl; then pour the broth over top.
Add a knob of butter, a drizzle of sesame oil, and a handful of scallions.
Top with soft-boiled eggs. Season with sea salt and lots of pepper.
Add some chili paste if you wish.
Enjoy!
Such a good one! To Asia, With Love
This is the pad Thai salad from TAWL. Follow along on Instagram for the recipe tomorrow, April 7th.
PrintLife-Changing Udon Noodles
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
From Hetty McKinnon’s To Asia, With Love
Notes:
- Every recipe in To Asia, With Love is vegetarian. Hetty’s note from the book: To veganise this recipe, omit the eggs and use vegan butter.
- You may find you might want more of the broth (it’s so good), so just keep the ingredients handy — the veg stock, tamari or soy, and mirin. I often make a double batch of broth.
- Scale the recipe as needed. I often make a half recipe, which is perfect for Ben and me. Note: In the video, I make a half recipe, but I do not halve the amount of soy sauce — I use 2 tablespoons instead of 1.5 tablespoons. One of you noted that this made for a salty broth, so please keep this in mind if halving the recipe. Start with 1.5 tablespoons and add more salt to taste.
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 800 g (1.75 lbs.) udon noodles
- 1/4 to 1/2 lb. of greens such as baby bok choy, optional
- 500 ml (2 cups) vegetable stock
- 3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons mirin
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 80 g (6 tbsp) butter, cubed, or to taste, see recipe
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil or to taste
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
- Sambal Oelek or other chili paste, optional
Instructions
- Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the eggs and set the timer for 6 minutes. As soon as the buzzer goes, immediately drain the eggs into a colander and run under cold water (or transfer to an ice bath) until they are completely cold. (This will make very soft-boiled eggs – if you prefer a firmer yolk, cook them for another minute.) Peel and set aside.
- Cook the udon noodles (and greens if using) in a large saucepan of salted water according to the packet instructions until al dente. This should only take 1–3 minutes, depending on whether your noodles are fresh, vacuum-sealed, or frozen. Drain, then scoop the hot noodles (and greens) into four bowls.
- Meanwhile, combine the stock, tamari or soy sauce, and mirin in a small saucepan and place over low heat until hot.
- Pour the hot broth over each bowl of noodles (and greens), and top with a soft-boiled egg. Add a knob of butter and allow it to melt into the noodles. Add the scallions and scatter a generous amount of black pepper over the noodles (use as much pepper as you like, but this dish is intended to be very peppery). Finish with a little drizzle of sesame oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
- If you like spicy, stir in a spoonful of Sambal Oelek or hot sauce of choice.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
378 Comments on “Life-Changing Udon Noodles”
Holy smokes that looks delish! I think once things are safe, I really want to go to Scotland (we’ve been watching Outlander!). But honestly, anywhere beyond my house will do LOL.
This looks so good, and wonderfully simple! My boyfriend and I were planning to go to Japan in summer 2020 to celebrate our graduations, so I would love to complete that trip in the future.
We definitely want to go somewhere we haven’t been before. Lots of choices but at the top of the list are Spain, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. Still feels like it will be a while…
Darn! I was just at the Asian supermarket on Central Ave last week and didn’t think to grab frozen noodles. If only I’d known! I might just have to try this with dried ramen-ish noodles instead, it sounds so simple and delicious and perfect for tonight. Next trip, I’m stocking up for sure! I haven’t been working so no long trips for me this year. I definitely am planning on a trip downstate to my mom’s for her home made fried chicken and then also maybe go out for tacos. All my destinations will be food driven for sure!
Another life changing recipe!! As if the peasant bread wasn’t life changing enough 😀 And as for travel, can’t wait to go to Porto in Portugal. For the food… for the wine… for the beaches… for the bridges. Need I say more!!!
This recipe looks so yummy- I can’t wait to try it along with all your other recipes. My husband and I would love to go to Spain and Italy together- we both went as teachers with our schools but never with each other as tourists instead of chaperones and there were so many places we loved and want to show each other! But first we are planning a family trip to Costa Rica in a year as my daughter is going to study Spanish at CPI for a month!
I cant wait to try this recipe. Without a doubt I will be heading to Italy to eat pasta galore, gorgeous tomatoes, Fiorentina Steak and spend lots of time in Sicily eating Caponata, Parmigiana di Melanzane and Pasta alla Norma!
I also grew up in Asia; my father was a diplomat. Out of all the places I’ve been or lived, Hong Kong was my favorite!! After 55 years, I’d LOVE to revisit and see if our old haunts remain the same!! The ‘street food’s to die for…I’ll take IT any day over fussy, complicated dishes!! Loved this recipe!!!
I have been waiting for this recipe after seeing it on your Instagram stories. I left Instagram but I do not mis you because of your Youtube videos (which I love). They are the best kind of food meditation there is ! I can’t wait to try it this weekend
Definitely making this! I lived in Tokyo for two years when I was in the Air Force and miss a good bowl of noodles so much!
If I could go anywhere I’d go to Maui, Hawaii with my hubby and two year old son. We live in interior Alaska (ie: cold) and haven’t left the state since a few months before Covid hit. So, cliche as it is, Hawaii sounds amazing with all its beaches and tropical vegetation (we just got a foot of snow on Easter so I’ve been thinking about it a lot! Haha). I’d eat all the tropical fruit for breakfast every day, have poke bowls for lunch, and maybe the garlic shrimp from the roadside trucks for dinner, and shave ice for dessert.
Love your blog! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I love soup, I love noodle and I adore noodle soups! Can’t wait to give this a try while I wait for it to be safe to travel to CROATIA, hopefully my first international trip in 2021. Love your site and the invaluable information as well as all of the resources and people that you highlight.
I can’t wait to try this. I’m not traveling out of the country but I’m going to visit Nashville very soon. All those farmers markets are calling me.
Love getting your newsletter. It’s not just eye candy….. I have actually made multiple recipes besides your mother’s no kneed bread. I must admit the bread is why I bought your book and signed up to ‘follow’ your blog. But we’ve been delighted with so much more.
THANK YOU!
Judy
No one place in particular. There is so much of this for me to see yet. I will just be happy to travel again.
My Filipino husband grew up in Hawaii and tells me stories of eating Huli Huli Chicken. So I want to fly to Hawaii just to eat chicken. ❤️
I would LOVE to win that cookbook, To Asia with love. I look forward to trying this recipe. I will need to make a field trip to an Asian market to replenish my supplies.I would like to travel to Ireland and Scotland, and feast on the seafood and other recipes my ancestors enjoyed, and taste scones and native pastries. I’d also LOVE to go to Korea and Japan to enjoy those foods I ate while living in Chicago for college.
I’d love to go to Tokyo – to visit some dear friends who my partner and I have not seen in much too long!
As usual wonderful recipe with excellent explanation. Every recipe has such goood tips. And your sourdough bread….I just got my PCR test results, and hopefully I am going tonight to visit my family in Estonia, miss them so much. Duying for local bread and cottage.
Travel? I’d love to revisit some of the western U.S. parks, both here in California and further afield. Meanwhile staying home and cooking is okay with me, helped along by your posts of course.
Hi Ali. Interestingly, I have been following Hetty McKinnon’s Instagram account but I was always a little intimidated by the recipes. When I watch your videos, everything seems so simple and easy to tackle. Thanks for bringing this to your TY channel and to your blog.
When we get out this year, we will be going camping to other parks here in California. While we are not quite ready to get on a plane and go somewhere, I think traveling locally holds a lot of appeal for the family and spending time in nature.
Cheers!
Hi is 1/2 recipe for 1 or 2 portions tjhe recipe said 4, but the bowl you made looked like you were having it yourself! Not that I could blame you, it looks delicious. If you could confirm would be good. Love to try this, going to look for frozen Udon noodles!
Thanks Ali
As for travel, the supermarket would be good! For fresh supplies Cyprus, Italy & Canada float my boat!, but I’d go by plane of course!
We are daydreaming of a visit the British Museum and the English countryside.
I was planning to go to Taiwan last year to see family. Hoping that we’re able to do so sooner rather than later!! Within the US, I’m dying to go back to Charleston 🙂
This looks delicious! Thank you for sharing.
As for travel, we had to cancel a trip to Norway last spring for their 17th of May celebration so we are looking forward to making that trip happen again eventually!
Italy, Italy, Italy….Florence, Rome Lecce for the art the food the culture and the beauty.
I am going to make this today. The first place my husband and I will go is Edinburgh, Scotland where our daughter is in school. She left in September for her first year of college and we are looking forward to being able to see her once again!
When the pandemic first arrived, my husband and I had tickets in hand to go visit my daughter and her family (our two oldest grandchildren) in Northern Ireland. Then the lockdown began. That’s where e we would go first.
Well this looks delicious and I’ll be heading to the Asian market today to look for frozen udon noodles! As for travel we’re right there with you, England for soccer, Tokyo for everything and NYC because hopefully we’ll be able to get there first 🎉
This looks amazing! Officially on my “must make” list! The first place I hope to travel is Iceland!
Thank you for the recipe – I have been using it since I saw it on your instagram! It is wonderful. For traveling – just about anywhere would do it!. I would like to go some place to just relax and not have to worry about everything ! Actually I would love to go to “baking camp”. Thank you for the giveaway!