This Easy Udon Noodle Bowl with Kimchi is a simple healthy one-dish meal that can be whipped up in 20 minutes! This bowl meal is flavorful and packed with nutrients, thanks to chard, tofu, and hearty udon noodles. Plus, this entree calls upon the flavor of the Korean classic, fermented kimchi (kimchee), to give it a spicy-sour kick of flavor that completely powers this recipe. While I’m not an expert in Korean foodways, I truly appreciate this beautiful, plant-based food tradition and called upon several traditional ingredients in this recipe. If you want to learn more about this traditional diet, check out the work of my friend and colleague, Maggie Moon, who is a Korean American food and nutrition expert.
Give this completely vegan Easy Udon Noodle Bowl with Kimchi a try! If you don’t have chard, you can swap 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 they are typically softer and thicker noodles, while soba noodles are made from buckwheat and are a bit thinner.
Nutrition Notes
This simple noodle bowl recipe is packed with nutrition, compliments of tofu, vegetables, kimchi, and udon noodles. You’ll get a good source of plant protein, carbs, fiber, minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals in this meal in a bowl. Another great plus for this nutritionally balanced meal is that it includes fermented foods by way of kimchi, which is a great healthy addition to your diet for promoting a healthy gut microbiota, which can boost your immune system and digestive health. This recipe does contain gluten, but by swapping rice or soba noodles for udon noodles you can make it gluten-free.
What is Kimchi?
Kimchi is a traditional Korean fermented vegetable dish using napa cabbage or Korean radish and seasonings, such as gochugaru, green onions, garlic, and ginger. How to eat kimchi? What to eat Kimchi with? Kimchi is typically used as in addition to soups and stews, and it’s delicious as a condiment for numerous recipes, such as dumplings and rice. What does kimchi taste like? It has a fermented sour taste, along with a spicy kick from the ingredients including in the kimchee recipe. Where to buy kimchi? I can find it in most well stocked supermarkets today, and you can definitely find it in Asian markets. It is stored in the refrigerated section.
Step-by-Step Guide:
Pick out your favorite udon noodles from your market or online.Cook according to package directions in boiling water just until cooked. Do not overcook.Rinse and drain noodles and set aside.Chop onions, carrots, and celery and grate garlic and ginger.Sauté vegetables in sesame oil for a few minutes, add water and continue to stir-fry until crisp tender.Cube tofu and add to vegetables, along with coconut milk.Slice chard and add to vegetables.Slice kimchi and add to vegetables, along with peanuts.Heat for a couple of minutes, until heated through.Dish up, garnish with chili oil as desired, and enjoy!
Kimchi gives a healthy kick to this vegan Easy Udon Noodle Bowl with Kimchi filled with the goodness of udon noodles, chard, veggies, and tofu. Get it on the table in 20 minutes. Make it gluten-free by swapping out the noodles for gluten-free rice or soba noodles.
Add onion, carrots, celery, ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons water and continue to stir-fry for about 7 minutes, until crisp tender.
Add tofu, coconut milk, soy sauce, swiss chard, kimchi, peanuts, and cooked, drained noodles. Stir-fry for an additional 2 minutes, just until chard is wilted but still bright green and mixture is heated through.
Garnish with chili oil and cilantro, if desired.
Makes 6 servings (about 1 2/3 cups each).
Notes
*Look for prepared kimchi in the refrigerated section of specialty markets, such as natural food stores and Asian supermarkets.
To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute gluten-free noodles, such as rice noodles.
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