May 8, 2024
Cheesy Vegan Gochujang Udon Noodles
Cheesy Vegan Gochujang Udon Noodles: the perfect 20-minute meal! Chewy udon noodles doused in rich gochujang sauce, tossed with creamy vegan cheese, and topped with toasted sesame seeds & green onion make for the perfect slurpable bowl of noodles! The robust team of gochujang, gochugaru, vegan cheese, and vegan butter produces a display of umami so beautifully in this dish, you’ll be giving it a standing ovation after just one bite!
Table of Contents
ingredients and substitutions jump to recipe video step-by-step instructions tips and faqsCheesy Vegan Gochujang Udon Noodles
If you love savory, saucy noodles, this Cheesy Vegan Gochujang Udon is for you! It’s easy, delicious, and totally satiating ???? The best part?! All you need is 20 minutes to make it!
I got the idea for this recipe after seeing videos of cheesy ramen going viral on TikTok. Obviously, I had to know what all the rave was about, so after watching a few recipes, I came up with these Cheesy Vegan Gochujang Udon Noodles!
Most of the recipe videos I saw online for cheesy ramen called for the flavoring packets – many of which aren’t vegan friendly – so I decided to ditch it altogether and come up with my own sauce! Of course, I wanted it to be just as easy as making instant ramen, so for the sauce, all you have to do is throw everything in a bowl and whisk it all together! I also subbed out udon noodles for ramen, because they’re my favorite, but feel free to use what you like!
Grab a drink and let’s get to cooking the easiest and most delicious Cheesy Vegan Gochujang Udon Noodles!
Ingredients for Cheesy Vegan Gochujang Udon Noodles
for a full and detailed list of ingredients, please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post
This recipe calls for a handful of fridge and pantry staples that I always have on hand! Don’t be deterred if some of these ingredients are new to you – they’re wonderful in a variety of asian-inspired dishes, and will last months! Here’s what you’ll need to make my Cheesy Vegan Gochujang Udon Noodles:
For the Sauce:
- Broth: any kind will do, but I typically use vegan chick’n bouillon (mix with water to create a broth), or homemade vegetable broth. Whatever you have will work here!
- Gochujang: gochujang is a fermented korean chili paste. It’s savory, with hints of spice and sweetness. I typically find gochujang at my local Asian Market and specialty supermarkets such as Whole Foods and Walmart.
- Sesame oil: I recomemed toasted, but regular works, too! Sesame oil adds a beautiful nuttiness to this dish, but if you’re allergic or simply don’t have it, roasted peanut oil or sesame seeds combined with a neutral oil such as canola or avocado oil works! Simply combine 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds with 2 teaspoons neutral oil.
- Low-Sodium soy sauce: you can substitute low-sodium Tamari, coconut aminos, or liquid aminos.
- Gochugaru: a chili powder traditionally made from sun-dried Korean red chili peppers known as taeyang-cho, with spicier varieties using Cheongyang peppers. I can find this at my local Asian Market, and some supermarkets such as Whole Foods and Sprouts. If you can’t find gochugaru, you can sub it with red chili powder.
- MSG: MSG is a wonderful addition to this recipe as it adds tons of umami! I’ve said this hundreds of times before, but I’ll say it again … if you have sensitivity to MSG, you’re more than welcome to leave it out, but if you’re under the impression that MSG is bad for you, please do your research on its history. There are several scientific, peer-reviewed studies that have debunked this age-old myth that’s rooted in racism. I recommend this study done by Harvard with tons of great references, and this article by Medical News Today, which also thoroughly cites all of its sources.
For the Cheesy Noodles:
- Vegan butter: if you don’t have vegan butter on hand, feel free to use equal parts oil. Since most vegan butter is salted, you may need to salt the dish!
- Mushrooms: not necessary, but I always have a variety of mushrooms in my fridge and I personally think they add a nice, earthy meatiness to the dish. If you’re not a mushroom stan, or don’t have ’em on hand, feel free to omit them!
- Green onion and garlic: you can never have enough of either ???? Save the dark green parts of the green onion for garnish!
- Vegan cheese: I like to use a mixture of vegan cheddar and mozzarella! The cheddar adds a nice flavor, and the mozzarella makes this dish super creamy and comforting.
- Udon noodles: preferably fresh, but frozen or dried work, too. Make sure to cook according to the package directions! Feel free to sub these out with whatever noodles you like such as ramen noodles, rice noodles, or even spaghetti noodles!
- Garnishes: I like green onion, fried garlic, toasted sesame seeds, and chili oil crisp for some extra heat!
How to Make Cheesy Vegan Gochujang Udon Noodles
All you need is 20 minutes to make these Cheesy Vegan Gochujang Udon Noodles! Here’s how:
1. Sauce:
Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings and set aside.
2. Cheesy Noods:
Cook the mushrooms in some vegan butter. Once the mushrooms are caramelized, sauté the green onion and garlic. Pour in the sauce and vegan cheese, and continue to cook until the cheese melts. While the sauce is simmering, prepare your noodles according to directions. Toss the noods in with the sauce and cook another minute or so.
3. serve and enjoy!
Garnish your Cheesy Vegan Gochujang Udon Noodles with fried garlic, toasted sesame seeds, green onion, and some chili oil crisp if you want it extra spicy like me! ENJOY!
Tips and FAQs
- Choose the Right Noodles: Use fresh, frozen, or dried udon noodles for this recipe. Fresh udon noodles have a delightful texture, but dried udon noodles work well too. Cook them according to package instructions for best results.
- Adjust Spiciness: The spiciness of the dish can be adjusted by varying the amount of gochujang and gochugaru. Taste the sauce as you go and add more or less according to your preference for heat.
- Prep Ingredients in Advance: Chop the mushrooms, garlic, and green onions before you start cooking to streamline the process.
- Make it Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free udon noodles and tamari instead of soy sauce to make this recipe gluten-free.
1. Can I use other types of noodles?
Yes, you can use other types of noodles like ramen noodles or rice noodles if preferred. Adjust the cooking time accordingly based on the type of noodle you use.
2. Can I make this dish ahead of time?
While this dish is best enjoyed fresh, you can prepare the sauce and cook the noodles in advance. Reheat the sauce gently and toss with freshly cooked noodles when ready to serve.
3. Where can I find vegan-friendly gochujang and cheese?
Vegan-friendly gochujang and cheese are available in most health food stores, Asian markets, or online retailers specializing in vegan products.
4. How do I store leftovers?
Store any leftover noodles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave before serving.
Love Gochujang? Try These Recipes Next!
Cheesy Gochujang Udon Noodles. You In?
I hope ya’ll love these Cheesy Vegan Gochujang Udon Noodles as much as I do! If you make this dish, don’t forget to let me know how it turned out! Snap a photo and show me your noods by tagging me on Instgram using @eat_figs_not_pigs and #EatFigsNotPigs – I love seeing all your recreations of my recipes!
Til next time! XO!
Cheesy Vegan Gochujang Udon Noodles
Ingredients
Spicy Gochujang Sauce:
- 1 cup vegan chick’n or vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons vegan-friendly gochujang
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons gochugaru Korean chili powder, or red chili flakes
- ¼ teaspoon MSG
- Kosher salt to taste
Cheesy Noodles:
- 2 tablespoon vegan butter divided
- 8 ounces trumpet or oyster mushrooms roughly chopped
- 1 cup white and light parts green onion roughly chopped (reserve dark green parts for garnish)
- 12 cloves fresh minced garlic
- ¾ cup vegan cheddar shreds
- ¼ cup vegan mozzarella shreds
- 12 ounces fresh frozen, or dried udon noodles
- Finely chopped green onion dark green parts, for garnish
- Toasted sesame seeds for garnish
- Fried garlic for garnish
- Chili garlic sauce for garnish, optional
Instructions
- For the sauce, place the broth, gochujang, sesame oil, soy sauce, gochugaru, and msg in a small bowl, whisking to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt if necessary. Set aside.
- To prepare the cheesy noodles, heat 1 tablespoon of vegan butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, add the mushrooms, and cook, without stirring, until most the moisture cooks out and they start to slightly crisp around the edges, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon butter. Once it’s melted, toss in the white and light green parts of the green onion and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until the green onion becomes translucent and the garlic is fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Pour in the reserved spicy gochujang sauce and vegan cheese, stirring to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often until the cheese has melted and the sauce is thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Meanwhile, boil the noodles according to package directions. Using tongs, transfer the cooked noodles to the skillet and toss thoroughly until the noodles are coated, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Serve with chopped green onion, toasted sesame seeds, fried garlic, and chili garlic sauce and enjoy!
This sauce is amazing! I though the 12 cloves of garlic was a mistake but I love garlic and added them all anyway and loved it. Great recipe!
This is so good. fantastic. I made it for the kids as well so only used the Gochug=jang. I could eat the whole pot.
thank you
Amazing!!!! I would definitely make this again.