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If creamy udon noodles have been popping up all over your social media feed, I highly recommend you try it! The recipes I’ve seen typically have pork in it but I substitute them with mushrooms! These thick, chewy udon noodles coated in a rich, silky Dan Dan inspired spicy sauce are peak comfort food! Plus htis whole meal is made with just pantry staples!
This version of creamy udon noodles is completely dairy-free thanks to silken tofu! The secret is blending silken tofu with tahini, garlic, and a squeeze of lemon. It sounds simple, but it turns into the creamiest, most satisfying sauce that clings perfectly to udon noodles!
To balance all that richness, I add rehydrated dried mushrooms, lion’s mane, and shiitake, which are my favorites! Dried mushrooms surprisingly rehydrate really well! They convert right back into juicy, plump pieces of mushrooms after a soak in hot water! I like to keep them in my pantry to make quick stocks and to have on hand so I can add a vegetable to my meal if I’m running low!
This is a pretty simple pantry meal. The udon noodles get tossed in a spicy, savory peanut sauce, inspired by Dan Dan noodles, made with soy sauce, rice vinegar, light brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and chili crunch!
Once the udon noodles are cooked, everything comes together fast. Add a dollop of both the dan dan mushrooms and the creamy tofu sauce onto your udon noodles, add some scallions if you have them, and dinner is done! It’s cozy enough for a cold night, easy enough for a weeknight, and fancy enough to feel like you ordered it at a noodle shop!
If you’re looking for creamy udon noodles that feel indulgent but still plant-based and pantry-friendly, this one’s it!
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Vegan Creamy Udon Noodles
- Total Time: 25
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Description
Creamy udon noodles made without dairy using a silky tofu-tahini sauce, chewy udon, and savory mushroom topping. Cozy, vegan comfort food that’s easy enough for weeknights.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Eden Foods Dried Lions Mane Mushrooms*
- 1 cup Eden Foods Dried Whole Shitake Mushrooms*
- 2 tbsp unsweetened natural peanut butter
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsp soy sauce/shoyu
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp hot pepper sesame oil (optional)
- 2–3 tsp chili crunch (to taste)
- 8 oz udon noodles, fresh or dried
- 4 scallions, greens, thinly sliced
- toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Creamy Tofu Sauce
- 10.5 oz silken tofu
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp lemon juice
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Instructions
In a bowl, add dried mushrooms and cover with boiling water. Cover the bowl and set aside for 20-25 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft.
Bring a pot of water to a boil.
While the mushrooms soak, make the creamy tofu sauce. Add tofu, garlic, salt, tahini, toasted sesame oil, and lemon juice to a small blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, add peanut butter, tahini, shoyu, brown rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, light brown sugar, toasted sesame oil, hot pepper sesame oil, and chili crunch. Add 2 tablespoons of the hot mushrooms soaking water and whisk until well combined.
Once the mushrooms are done soaking, remove and chop up them up into roughly ¼ inch size pieces. Toss with the spicy peanut/tahini sauce and set aside.
Boil the noodles for 9 minutes, or according to the package, and strain. To serve, add noodles to your bowl along with creamy tofu sauce and the mushroom sauce and toss until well combined. Garnish with scallions and toasted sesame seeds.
Notes
* You can use 1lb of fresh mushrooms, finely diced. Sauté in 2 tsp of oil for 8-10 minutes with a pinch of salt and then toss with the sauce.
