Vegetable Udon Noodle Stir-Fry
Looking for a weeknight dinner that’s fast, flavorful, and family-approved? This udon noodle stir-fry is a delicious blend of chewy udon noodles, tender-crisp and colorful vegetables, and a savory sauce to infuse each bite with flavor. It comes together in just 30 minutes, making it a requested option for busy nights. It’s naturally vegetarian, but you can easily add your favorite protein – chicken, steak, shrimp, or tofu would all be delicious.
Fast, flavorful, and family-approved?
That’s exactly the kind of recipes I’m going for here and this one does not disappoint.
If you can find fresh udon noodles, they are special! But most of the time, I rely on the dried ones (typically found in the Asian section of your store). These Japanese noodles are made of wheat, but they are a bit chewier than traditional pasta, we love them!
🥢 Family-friendly flavor: The sauce is light and balanced, but still with plenty of flavor.
😋 Seriously delicious: Every bite delivers tender noodles, crisp veggies, and a homemade savory sauce.
🛒 Made with simple ingredients: You don’t need to make a trip to the specialty market, unless you want fresh udon noodles, which are SO delicious, but I use dried noodles most of the time.
🥬 Veggie-packed: This meal packs in veggies in a delicious way.
🔥 Quick weeknight dinner: You can get this on the table in under 30 minutes.
You’ll also want to try chicken parm pasta, creamy tomato pasta, orecchiette with sausage and broccoli, and sesame noodles next time.
Made this with spaghetti and the whole family liked it! Kids even tried some of the veggies and especially loved the peppers. Thanks again!! –Sarah
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need some fresh ingredients and pantry staples to bring this meal to the table: snap peas, broccoli, bell peppers, soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, honey, mirin, ginger, sriracha, oil, udon noodles, and optional sesame seeds and green onions for garnish.
- Udon noodles: Look for udon noodles in your store’s Asian section. If you have Asian markets near you, you may be able to find fresh noodles or frozen udon noodles, which are preferred and definitely have the best texture! 🙂 You could also swap out the udon noodles for rice noodles if you need a gluten-free alternative.
Emily’s Tips & Tricks
- Pro tip: If you like a little spice, feel free to add some to the savory sauce. Sriracha, red pepper flakes, or chili crisp oil are all great additions.
- Feeding kids without pressure: This is pretty kid friendly, but you could serve a small portion if it’s a new food. Serve the meal with a few sides you know they will eat (milk, fruit, and bread and butter if they won’t do the noodles).
- Additions: If you’d like to add a bit more protein, chicken, shrimp, or pork would all be delicious! Cook thin strips of meat (shrimp can be left whole) until cooked through, then remove from skillet, cook the veggies, and add meat back into skillet with the noodles.
Easy Udon Stir Fry Noodles with Vegetables
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: Asian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This udon noodle stir-fry is a fast, flavorful weeknight dinner that’s packed with veggies. Quick, family-friendly, and irresistibly saucy.
Ingredients
For Veggies:
- 6 oz. snow peas (or snap peas)
- 4 cups broccoli florets (about 10 oz.), trimmed so they are small and about the same size
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow pepper, sliced
For Sauce:
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 1 Tbsp. mirin or rice vinegar
- 3 tsp. minced ginger
- 1 tsp. sriracha (adjust to flavor preference)
For Noodles:
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 14 oz. dried udon noodles
- green onions and sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Prep all veggies for stir fry.
- In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, honey, mirin, ginger, and sriracha. Set aside.
- Cook udon noodles according to package instructions, but drain 3 minutes early.
- While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet or wok. Add vegetables to the pan and toss to coat with oil. Cover and steam for 3 minutes. Remove the cover and stir. Drizzle sauce over vegetables and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer noodles to skillet and toss to coat with sauce, cooking another 1-2 minutes.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
Notes
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat noodles in a hot skillet or in the microwave until heated through. They are also good cold or at room temperature. Drizzle with sesame oil or a splash of soy sauce if they seem dry.
- Ingredient notes: If you like heat, serve with chili onion crunch, sriracha, or chile garlic sauce.
- Prep ahead: If you want this meal to come together quickly, prep your veggies and sauce ahead of time – up to a day in advance.
- Special tools: A large skillet or wok is helpful when making these noodles.
FAQs
There are a lot of varieties out there – fresh, frozen, dried! This recipe is designed to work with any type. I think fresh noodles have the best flavor, but typically make this with dried udon as fresh can be hard for me to find without making a special trip. You could also use regular spaghetti or linguine; rice noodles for a gluten-free option; or even other Japanese noodles like ramen, soba, or yakisoba noodles.
If the noodles are done cooking but you aren’t ready for them quite yet, you can give the noodles a quick rinse after cooking, or drizzle with a small amount of sesame oil. Or strain them and then toss them directly with vegetables and sauce.
Yes! You can certainly switch up the vegetables, you’ll just want to adjust the cooking time if necessary. I recommend using fresh vegetables – shredded carrots, cabbage, bok choy, spinach, mushrooms, and zucchini would all be delicious.
More Stir-Fry Recipes
If you love stir-fries as much as we do, you’ll need to give some of these other easy and delicious recipes a try next time:
About the Author
Emily Dingmann is a recipe developer, nutrition expert, and founder of My Everyday Table. She specializes in creating easy, healthy recipes that help busy parents feed their families well every single day, without the stress. With a degree in Nutrition and over 20 years of experience, Emily shares family-friendly meals that are practical, nourishing, and full of flavor. Learn more about Emily’s approach to everyday cooking and nutrition here.
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
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Made this with spaghetti and the the whole family liked it! Kids even tried some of the veggies and especially loved the peppers. Thanks again!!
So glad the whole family enjoyed this one!
Very tasty. Making it again tonight.
Thanks for the comment, Carmen, so glad to hear. you enjoyed it!