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”
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to take a formally planned trip to Spain!
I can’t wait to return to Italy. I rented a villa last time I visited and it was so fun to buy local foods and cook in the kitchen. It was so relaxing to come back after a day of sightseeing and have a more leisure meal and drink wine at ‘home’ in the evening. Your cooking clips are always so calming and always make me want to cook and bake so many new things.
Been planning to go to Taiwan since last year!Can’t wait to try all the street food and bubble tea and practice my language skills. I miss Asia so much.
This sounds so yummy! I am going to Charleston at the end of the month for my sister’s birthday, I can’t wait. I just booked a trip to Morocco for March 2022., super excited to explore their culture!
I can’t wait to go anywhere! Seriously. Pre-pandemic I was planning a trip somewhere warm for my hubby & my 10th anniversary. It didn’t happen. I’d take a night alone together just around the corner at this point! But maybe one day we’ll make it to Greece. Or India. 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼 Thanks for sharing a little or TAWL. can’t wait for the rest of it !
Prior to the pandemic, I lived in San Francisco and this recipe takes me back there. I’d love to travel back soon to grab a bowl of ramen from Shin Mai (which I can’t recommend highly enough!), wake up to the morning fog over the Bay, and spend the day hiking along the coast in Marin. The views of the ocean are spectacular!
Sadly, living in Appalachia now, ramen is a difficult find! Any recommendations for a greens substitute for baby boy choy? This would also be challenging to find in my remote area. Can’t wait to whip up this delicious recipe and SF memories.
I am so excited to travel anywhere at this point. I would love to Greece especially.
California to see my family and friends.
Ekkkk!!! This cookbook is on my wishlist! Every recipe you mention from it sounds incredible! I’ve been dreaming of a trip to Hawaii so I can dive head-first into the freshest poke bowl ever 🙂
Love Hetty, and would love this book! Our first trip will likely be a family trip to CA, but my husband & I are dreaming of going back to Japan (where we honeymooned)!
My mom and I have been planning to go to Sweden for years but have never made it official. The pandemic has made us realize how important it is for us to make it a priority as soon as we can! Life is too short and fragile to wait to enjoy it. Swedish meatballs are definitely on our to-do list 😊
The ocean – Bethany Beach, DE or Stonington, CT
I would love to visit Japan! I have never been before and can’t wait to visit once it is safe to travel. But this cookbook really inspires me to take my own little culinary adventures in the meantime. What a delicious recipe!
Looks wonderful! Want to get up to Quebec City when the border reopens!
This sounds so yummy! I am going to Charleston at the end of the month for my sister’s birthday, I can’t wait. I just booked a trip to Morocco for March 2022., super excited to explore their culture!
I lived for a year and a half in Taiwan and I love trying new Asian recipes.
Where would I go? One of my favorites is Spain and I’d go again in a flash, mostly for the food. We went on a food tour in Madrid that was so much fun, we now do a food tour wherever we travel.
I made this recipe for dinner tonight and it was delicious!! My husband and I were supposed to be in Dublin, Ireland RIGHT NOW for my 60th birthday celebration but of course had to cancel. Can’t wait to travel anywhere…need a change of scenery and some good food!
This looks incredible and I can’t wait to try it! I’m dying to get back to Paris or London, but frankly I’d settle for anywhere that isn’t my house at this point.
Ready to visit my family in California and cook with them! Excited for this book!
I’d love to get anywhere international, and right now Canada is topping my list- my daughter has 3 great-grandparents she hasn’t met, and I have poutine to eat!
It’s still so cold here at night and day temps drive right into one’s bones. These recipes will definitely make it onto our “to do” list for the next 2 weeks. …….Our travel plans will have us heading to Keswick, UK, in the Lake Country, for many hikes per Kerry Irving and his 3 adorable Springer Spaniels.
I make these noodles once a week. My kids love them and so do I. I am hoping to bike across the Netherlands with my husband and two friends later this year 🤞 and hopefully England with the kids next year. Always love your posts.
Iceland to visit my in-laws. We were supposed to be there for Christmas and New Years this year, but we’re very hopeful we can go this year instead.
Hetty is such a good writer. I love “Family” and can’t wait to cook through “To Asia with Love.”
I’d love to go to Japan and see it from top to bottom. For now I will settle for a trip to the west coast of Canada to Tofino, BC!
This sounds heavenly! I can’t wait to travel again! My husband and I really want to finally go on our honeymoon. As soon as we can we plan to go to Iceland!!
Travel to my home, Hawaii and visit family. I love Hetty McKinnon and I love your Instagram!!
Cant wait to try her recipes! I’m dying to go to South America as soon as things open up a bit!!
Traveling to Texas from California! Haven’t seen my 84 yr old Mom in 22 Months, my nephew is expecting first baby after Zoom wedding last summer, and my youngest baby is goi g to Trinity Univ in San Antonio in the Fall! When I first saw this recipe for the Life-changing Noodles, I started dreaming about them. This pandemic has definitely been Life-Changing, grateful for opportunities to keep learning and challenging ourselves. Thank you Alexandra!
Having lived in Japan for many years, the foods there are still my favorite. I love the simplicity of so many of their dishes. This recipe looks delicious and I’ll be trying it this week! I’ve made a close variation of this one often. Always delicious, quick and easy! I would love to go back someday! And Greece!
I would love to go to Singapore, for the delicious street food but more importantly to show my young kids where their grandparents live for the first time.
I want to
Go
To Portugal! To eat the egg tarts and the seafood!!! Also Italy! To eat the zucchini pasta that Stanley Tucci ate in his cnn documentary. 😊😊😊