Udon Noodle Stir Fry with Miso and Bokchoy

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Give me allll the noodles. Give me all the leftover noodles too. What do we do with them exactly? We stir-fry them! I love a one-pan meal. This dish is easy, quick, filling, and customizable. You can probably make noodles 50,000 ways and this is just one of them.

Cooking a Decent Stir Fry

If there’s one thing I’ve gotten down over the years, it’s making a good sauce. When my teen son was little, we had Food Network style cook-offs with Dad. He would then declare one of us the iron chef. Let me tell you, a 5-year-old is not afraid to praise your food, or tell you how much it truly sucks. He’s still the same way 10 years later.

When it comes to cooking I’m the type who just likes to wing it. To put exact amounts and measurements is something I’ve had to practice for this site because I have at least 100 recipes in my head that I would like to post. I’m getting better at taking notes though. I’m sure plenty of people reading this are the same way. This dish is easy to eyeball though.

If you like precise amounts and instructions when you cook, follow the exact recipe below. I usually put the minimum amount of an ingredient, because you can always add more, not take it away. So start with what I list and add more to taste if needed. Some of these things can be overbearingly salty so you don’t want to go too heavy at first.

Ingredients for Udon Noodle Stir Fry

For this udon noodle stir fry dish, I used ginger paste, minced garlic, miso, mirin, light soy, white pepper, sesame oil, and avocado oil to sauté the veggies. I use the sesame oil sparingly but do the majority of my high-heat cooking with avocado oil. Don’t be afraid of fats and oils. Your body needs the healthy ones.

The Japanese seasoning from Trader Joe’s is totally optional but if you have anything like it (basically nori flake and sesame seeds) it makes a nice finishing touch. There’s an interesting one here inspired by Chef Morimoto.

Pantry Staples

If you don’t normally cook Asian food it can be a little overwhelming because it always seems like there are fifty sauces for one dish. You don’t have to use all of these for this particular stir fry recipe, they are just some suggestions to stock up on. The good news is most of this stuff has a shelf life of eternity. Once you have them you can whip up a noodle stir fry in just a few minutes. Spend some time shopping; it will pay off later when you need to throw something together FAST. Some staples I always have on hand:

• Soy sauce or coconut aminos
• Miso
• Mirin
• Rice wine vinegar
• Chili paste
• Ginger paste
• Sriracha
• Sesame oil
• White pepper

I’m lucky to have a couple of Asian markets nearby. I could wander those aisles all day. You can also order plenty of these online from various markets, Amazon, and Whole Foods. Don’t want to leave the house? Well, you don’t have to. I recently just discovered Bowlcut which sells my beloved chili crisp and a delicious BBQ sauce. Their products are a little healthier than some you’ll find on the store shelves, gluten-free, no additives, vegan, and made in USA. Not all Asian condiments are loaded with MSG and unnatural ingredients, you just have to shop around.

This is just a small example of what I keep on hand but you can make a whole lot of dishes, and super quickly with a combination of these ingredients. Some other pantry items I tend to frequently use are:

• Fish sauce
• Oyster sauce
• Chinese BBQ Sauce
• Curry paste
• Chili crisp
• Chinese cooking wine
• Chinese Five Spice

I get a lot of inspiration from The Woks of Life my favorite Asian cooking blog. Check them out and you will see why I want to load up the pantry!

Cooking and Substitutions

I used leftover udon noodles from a previous dinner but you can also use ramen, spaghetti, or anything else you have on hand. I also like jumbo wet packed udon noodles which cook up fast, with no soaking or boiling needed. You just throw them right with your sauce. They usually have them on the shelf in the Asian section at the grocery store.

Use rice noodles for a gluten-free option. Swap out any veggies you like. The sauce is your base. I used bok choy and carrots because it’s what I had. You can use any greens, cabbage, broccoli, peppers, eggplant, peas, whatever. Serve it as your main dish or a side. You can also add protein. I served this udon noodle stir fry with teriyaki sockeye salmon I had in the freezer.

Fire up a wok or large skillet on medium-high heat (my fave is an enamel cast iron wok) add a tbsp or so of cooking oil and add your veggies. Cook for a minute stirring frequently. Quickly add all sauce ingredients and stir for another minute. Add your previously cooked noodles, shut off the heat, and toss to coat thoroughly. That’s it. Dinner served. Although mirin is on the sweeter side this is a savory dish with a tiny bit of heat from the white pepper.

Tips

• Your noodles do not have to be leftover of course. Just soak them and cook separately according to package directions and drain.
• Plain leftover udon noodles store better in the fridge if you toss them with a little bit of oil. Then they won’t stick into one giant ball. I like leftover noodles so I only have to cook them once for a few different meals.
• If you like really saucy noodles just double the amounts and add a splash of broth or cooking water from your noodles.
• If you like more veggies use more veggies. If you don’t like veggies, don’t use veggies. If you like chicken toes, add chicken toes.

Enjoy! Let me know what you think in the comments.