Easy Vegetable Udon Noodle Soup

This flavorful vegetable udon noodle soup couldn’t be easier to make, thanks to fresh store bought udon noodles and a savory miso based broth.

bowl of vegetable udon noodle soup with chopsticks set on top

One of the most popular recipes on this blog is my Pork Belly Udon Noodle Soup. In the years since I’ve published it , however, I’ve transitioned to a mostly plant-based lifestyle and no longer consume pork. I’ve left the recipe up for those of you that do, and still make a version of it myself often, just leaving out the pork. So I figured it was high time I create a proper meatless udon noodle soup recipe to have up here, too.

vegetable udon noodle soup

Why you’ll love this vegetable udon noodle soup

Have you ever had udon noodles? They are a Japanese wheat flour noodle typically used in soups and stir fry recipes with a thick consistency that makes them perfect for slurping. Your girl fancies herself somewhat of a noodle connoisseur, and I must say I will forever be obsessed with udon’s soft, chewy texture. You can purchase them fresh or dried from the Asian section of your grocery store or in Asian specialty markets. I prefer the fresh udon noodles when I can find them because they cook so much faster, making this vegetable udon recipe even more easy-breezy.

bowl of vegetable udon noodle soup with chopsticks twirling noodles

This vegetable udon noodle soup is so satisfying and flavorful, I’d wager that you won’t miss the meat one bit. Not only is it full of hearty vegetables like asparagus, bok choy and meaty mushrooms, but the broth is so rich and delicious thanks to a base of garlic, ginger and miso paste. A splash of soy sauce gives it that umami flavor that everyone craves from Asian noodle soups.

Sliced mushrooms, asparagus, bok choy and scallions

I think the thing I love most about this udon noodle soup though is how extremely easy it is to make! In less than twenty minutes flat you can have a satisfying meal on the table.

sauteed asparagus in a cast iron skillet

How to make vegetable udon soup

I like to start this vegetable udon noodle soup by sauteeing the asparagus and mushrooms separately in a skillet and adding a splash of soy sauce and toasted sesame oil to the pan as they’re cooking. It only takes an extra couple of minutes and gives the vegetables an undeniably delicious depth of flavor.

Next, the broth. The base is made up of fresh garlic and ginger, miso paste and soy sauce. To that we’ll add vegetable broth (you can add a splash more soy sauce to taste if you want your soup to be a little saltier).

Once the broth comes to a simmer, it’s time to add the udon noodles and bok choy. If you’re buying fresh udon noodles they will only need a couple of minutes. Dried udon noodles will take a bit longer. Lastly we’ll add our reserved mushrooms and asparagus to the soup.

bowl of vegetable udons soup with chopsticks and a bowl of soy sauce

Variations

  • Instead of bok choy and asparagus, try baby spinach, zucchini or broccoli
  • You can add a soft boiled or poached egg for a boost of protein
  • If you don’t consume soy, coconut aminos are a great alternative
  • This recipe calls for Asian varieties of mushrooms such as shiitake and king oyster mushrooms, but feel free to use any mushrooms you have on hand like crimini or white button mushrooms. Or if you’re not a mushroom fan, you can leave them out altogether!
vegetable udon noodle soup
bowl of vegetable udon noodle soup with chopsticks set on top
4.67 from 12 votes
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Easy Vegetable Udon Noodle Soup

This flavorful vegetable udon noodle soup couldn’t be easier to make, thanks to fresh store bought udon noodles and a savory miso based broth.

Course Soup
Cuisine Asian
Keyword udon soup, vegetable udon, vegetarian udon
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 1
Calories 430 kcal
Author Denisse

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil divided
  • 3-4 asparagus spears chopped
  • 1/2 cup mushrooms such as shiitake or king oyster sliced
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce divided, plus more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons white miso paste
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 2-3 ounces fresh udon noodles
  • 1 head baby bok choy halved
  • 1 scallion chopped

Instructions

  1. Add 1 teaspoon sesame oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes or until asparagus is fork tender. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce during  the last minute of cooking. Remove from skillet and set aside.

  2. Add remaining teaspoon sesame oil and add mushrooms. Cook for 2-3 minutes, adding 1 tablespoons soy sauce during the last minute. Remove from skillet and set aside.

  3. Add remaining tablespoon soy sauce, miso paste, garlic, ginger and vegetable broth to a medium sized pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until miso paste dissolves.

  4.  Add udon noodles and bok choy and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until noodles are cooked. Taste broth and add more soy sauce if desired. Transfer to a bowl and garnish with scallions.

Recipe Notes

  • Instead of bok choy and asparagus, try baby spinach, zucchini or broccoli
  • You can add a soft boiled or poached egg for a boost of protein
  • If you don’t consume soy, coconut aminos are a great alternative
  • This recipe calls for Asian varieties of mushrooms such as shiitake and king oyster mushrooms, but feel free to use any mushrooms you have on hand like crimini or white button mushrooms. Or if you’re not a mushroom fan, you can leave them out altogether!

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Comments

  1. Kenzi

    About to attempt. Looks and sounds amazing, wanted to the ideal preservation of the leftovers- left out, refrigerated.. thanks

    Reply
  2. Stefani

    So – my mushrooms were two days off. The vegetable broth I had was known for being a bit overpowering… I didn’t have any ginger gratings because well, I forgot to add that to the shopping list! … but somehow. SOMEHOW!

    This recipe literally knocked the slippers off me. It was great. It was presented really well too. The shitaki mushrooms slapped! Well done and thank you for sharing this recipe!

    Reply
  3. Freja Ljungqvist

    So good! This has become my favorite thing during quarantine. Just don’t add extra salt because the broth, soy sauce and miso paste add a lot of salty-ness already.

    Reply
    1. Denisse Post author

      Thank you! The great thing about this recipe is that it’s so adaptable to your preferred level of saltiness.

      Reply
  4. Christine Hawley

    So nice to cook something new that works out so well! We just tried this and it was so satisfying for all 3 of us (including 12 year old boy). Thanks!

    Reply
  5. Lee

    Not made this yet but will very soon, I know I’d like this as every ingredient used I love, love like a little bowl of heaven.

    Reply
  6. Mindy C

    We’ve also been switching to much more of a plant based diet, so finding something that still has the great depth of flavor was such a treat! We’ve made this several times now, the first two times, following the recipe exactly, but now we’re playing with broccolini and bean sprouts and sliced onion and adding red pepper flake or chili paste and stir frying tofu along with the mushrooms and onions. The base recipe is fantastic, just as it is, and we love the variations we can make with it, as well. We also live in a small town in the midwest that doesn’t have much Asian food, at all, and with my being from a big city – I’ve really missed it! Finding this – something simple that I can actually get all of the ingredients for here that always turns out delicious has been a great, great find!

    Thank you!

    Reply
  7. Tegan

    Great recipe! I used to follow a different miso broth recipe that took so much longer! This was so quick and easy and didn’t lack in flavour at all. Can’t believe how little ingredients go into the broth. I’ll be adding it to my regular line up. Thank you so much!

    Reply
  8. Tori Klinge

    Wow! This turned out delicious! Other Asian soups I’ve made in the past have always seemed to be lacking something compared to what I get at a restaurant, but not this one. It will definitely be going into the regular rotation!

    Reply
  9. Liz

    Love this recipe! This is my go-to dinner recipe. Sometimes I add tofu, or omit stuff I don’t have like mushrooms. And it still comes out great! Super simple recipe doesn’t need that many ingredients and you get full!

    No more restaurant udon for me!

    Tip: add white cooking wine to the soup! A few tablespoons worth

    Reply
  10. Simone

    This recipe was amazing. I haven’t gotten to the fresh fruits and veggies part of my grocery shopping so I had no mushroom or asparagus tips. I used toasted sesame oil to Sautee 2 cups worth of diced onions. Then added vegetarian mushroom sauce and soy sauce. Added half a pot full of water, 4 veggie bullion cubes and a little bit of red miso paste. Wait until it was piping hot then added in noodle, spinach and arugula a d halved bok chocolate! I also ended up using salt, pepper a d ground ginger powder! The soup was soooooooo stinking delicious and quick to make! Def going in rotation!

    The soup was delicious and my kid kept asking was it ready well ahead of time. He had mentioned he wanted upon noodles from the store and groaned when I said let’s make them at home. After this, he no longer has any desire to purchase at the store! Asked if I could make a bigger batch for snack for him after school days!

    Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply
  11. s

    i loved this recipe!! i used blanched bok choy and oyster mushrooms, and added in some silken tofu towards the end 🙂 thank you so much!

    Reply

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