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”
Thank you so much for the chance to win this book! You make bread baking look so easy so when you said this comes together quickly I feel like this could for sure fit into my weekly dinner menu!
We, like many others, cancelled trips as the severity of the pandemic crystalized. The one that I was most looking forward to was heading to the Canadian Rockies, Banff, Lake Louise. That would have been my first time going to that area and I was looking forward to a more “hiking’y/lake’y” vacation. Looking forward to re-scheduling that trip some time in the future!
I’d love to go back to Brittany. Those beaches. Ah.
It is in no way exotic or passport required but I plan on first traveling to western Pennsylvania to see my parents. I’ll be sure to bring a large cooler because the world’s finest bacon is smoked and created at Henry’s (Harrisville Pa). Sometimes it is the simple travels that mean the most! Happy cooking!!
Italy, Italy, Italy 🇮🇹 — our dear, close friends moved to Naples last fall and we’re missing them!
Thanks, Alexandra!
That looks wonderful! I think I will add it to my meal plan next week.
As for travel, my family had a trip to Iceland planned last summer. Once the world opens up a bit more, that is very high on my list. I think this year may bring domestic road trip through the Midwest and time with some extended family, which feels like a novelty after so much time at home.
This recipe sounds so good, I am making it for dinner tonite!!!
Sounds like an easy great recipe, must try it soon along with the Pad Thai, I’ve been looking for a good recipe to make at home. As far as travel, italy to see family, to explore and have wonderful food, Vietnam has also been on my list for a while, but hopefully sooner we’ll be able to explore the Pacific Northwest. BTW, my son and I are also major Premiere League soccer fans, so cheers to that!!!
I have been overwhelmed by the thought of making broth and this looked so easy!
I’m dying to go to Europe – Paris especially. I want to sit in an outdoor cafe with a cup of coffee and a pastry! and watch all the people walk by.
I know it is not that far or exotic, but I really want to visit Hamilton, MO. It is known as Quilt Town USA, and has dozens of quilt and fabric stores on it’s Main Street. It is an amazing story of one family’s journey to bring a small dying town to life, and employing it’s population in a very special way. I love to quilt, and I love their fabric, products, and you tube videos. I can’t really travel because of disabilities, so that is someplace I would love to go.
All your recipes are so wonderful! I am looking forward to visiting my very best friend of 46 years. I cannot wait to hug her. I miss her every day and send her links to your site all the time. Colorado here I come!
The hubby and I are booking a summer trip to Thailand this weekend! Although I did take an amazing short cooking class on a previous trip (this will be visit #6) our primary motivation for each trip is to visit our son, his wife, and our three precious grandchildren. We’ve missed 2 encounters because of Covid, so we cannot wait to see their precious faces!
I love Hetty’s recipes (and her writing), and I can’t wait to try these noodles and check out To Asia, With Love! 🙂 I’ve been dreaming of a yoga and spa-filled trip to Bali, but I would also happily go back to Italy or France.
This looks amazing! Simple yet complex. Look forward to making soon.
Yesterday, I saw a photo of rainbows over Hawai’i and had a huge pang of longing to travel there….that’s where I’d love to go.
I will go anywhere that isn’t my own backyard and will be thrilled to eat anything someone else cooks for me :). Then I’ll happily return to my own yard and my own kitchen and comforting dishes like this one.
I can’t wait to make this! When I feel safe to travel again, it might not be exotic-sounding, but I want to go to San Francisco—I’ve never been and I have a niece and nephew who I haven’t seen for 30 years that I REALLY REALLY want to reconnect with.
US National Parks would be tops on my list. Looking forward to trying the recipe.
I am SO going to the cyclades islands once all this is over. Good food, great beaches, brilliant people – what else could you ask for?
I’d love to go on a culinary tour in Rome!
If there was one place I find most intriguing and has been on my bucket list, it is Japan. I think their cuisine is perfection. And this noodle recipe reminded me of the country as I think they use udon noodles in their cooking.
Such a beautiful recipe from a book I’ve been coveting! Japan has long been high on my travel list, I have dreams of walking through the cherry blossom riddled parks in Kyoto and trying hidden ramen spots in subway stations.
As always, such great recipes…thanks Ali! Thanks also for the chance to win this dreamy cookbook! I am looking forward to taking my 50th birthday trip to Italy with my mom!
I can’t get over how simple and delicious this is! I definitely want to give that pad Thai noodle salad recipe a go soon.
The first place I’d like to travel would be Singapore to see my mom 🙂 I was planning on going last year but then 2020 happened.
Noodles look yummy. Gosh I think to Williamsburg, VA to visit my grandson ….it’s been a year! He just had his first haircut. Not as glamorous as Italy, but still wonderful.
Thanks for a chance to win this book. Love your book and use frequently.
I am fortunate to have lots of ex-pat friends and already have my post-vaccine trip planned: fly out of NYC so I can spend a few days w/ my sister, hit London for a bit, off to10 days in Switzerland, then Paris for a few days (a week if I’m really lucky), back to London then back to the States. All of this over four weeks, optimally. Thx for sharing yet another great recipe, Ali!!
I’ve been shipping various bread creations I learned from your recipes to family in South Carolina and Minnesota. It gets very expensive and we’re never sure the bread will keep its integrity on the journey. I’m looking forward to visiting both paces soon and bringing the fun with me. This Udon noodle recipe reminds me of Anju Noodle Bar in Portsmouth, ME, an incredible little joint we stumbled upon on that actually was “life changing.” But that’s another story …
I’ve been reading “Picnic in Provence” and I would def plan a trip to Provence to eat all the baguettes, brie and croissants!
The first place I’ll “travel” is up the Maine coast to Belfast to eat at the sweetest restaurant owned by the most special family: Chase’s Daily. Then my first big trip will probably be to Oxaca for some street food!
The first place I’ll travel is likely not far: just to Kansas City to see my family for the first time since January 2020! But I was also supposed to do some very exciting travel for work this year, including my first-ever trip to East Asia (Hong Kong and/or Singapore), and I’m dying to get that back on the books!
I would love to go to Japan in the winter to ski and eat all the warm bowls of noodles and soup!