While udon noodles aren’t terribly unhealthy additions to your diet, they aren’t exactly the most nutritious ingredient either. Occasionally adding instant noodles to your diet plan won’t negatively affect you. Still, it’s important to moderate your consumption to stay healthy. Read the list of best substitutes for udon noodles and whether they’re a more nutritious alternative.
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What Are Udon Noodles?
Udon noodles are thick Japanese noodles mostly made from three simple ingredients: wheat flour, salt, and water. These strand noodles can range in shape and size and have a mild, slightly sweet flavor and chewy, springy texture. Udon is commonly served in soups with a flavorful broth and various toppings.
The Best 4 Substitutes For Udon Noodles
Udon noodles are a versatile food used in soups, stir-fries, deep-fried, or served cold with a dipping sauce or as a salad. Whether you’re looking for a close match or need to swap udon to suit your diet, here’s your cheat sheet to the best substitutes for udon noodles.
Soba Noodles
Soba noodles are thin Japanese noodles made primarily from buckwheat flour (and sometimes a smaller proportion of wheat flour). The buckwheat contributes to soba noodles’ darker color and nuttier, earthier flavor.
Despite having distinguishable differences from udon, soba noodles still make a perfect substitute. They are used in similar dishes and can be used interchangeably in soups, stir-fries, and cold dishes.
You can substitute udon for soba noodles using a 1:1 ratio. However, soba noodles are thinner and require less cooking time. Cooking soba noodles takes 3 minutes compared to at least 8 minutes for udon noodles.
Buckwheat flour is a gluten-free grain; however, many soba noodle brands add small amounts of wheat flour to improve the dough’s texture during production, meaning the noodles aren’t gluten-free anymore. If you’re looking for a gluten-free option, double-check the packaging to ensure the noodles are made from 100% buckwheat flour.
Although a little pricier, I love using jawari soba noodles in my Japanese-inspired recipes. It is the most authentic type, made only with buckwheat flour and water. Jawari soba is an excellent plant-based protein source and delivers bold, nutty, and earthy flavors. I enjoy them most, served with chilled dashi broth.
Ramen Noodles
Ramen noodles are an inexpensive, easy, and readily available substitute for udon noodles. They are thinner yet still firm enough to work well in soups, broth dishes, and stir-fries.
You can substitute udon for ramen noodles using a 1:1 ratio. Ramen noodles will take as little as 2 to 3 minutes to cook. Their neutral taste allows your broth, sauce, and other toppings to take center stage. However, add more spice and seasoning to your recipes when using ramen noodles.
Unfortunately, instant ramen noodles aren’t all that nutritious. They are high in sodium and fat and low in fiber, protein, and any other natural nutrients. Adding healthy greens and protein like chicken in your crockpot soup recipes, beef, or tofu can boost the nutritional value.
Shirataki Noodles
Shirataki noodles are unique Japanese noodles made from glucomannan, a fiber from the bulbous root of an elephant yam or konjac plant. They are a solid choice for those looking for healthy low-carb meal prep ideas. Shirataki is a naturally low-calorie, low-carb, and high-fiber noodle. However, they are delicious when treated right. Note that Shirataki noodles aren’t vegan-friendly or gluten-free. There are other vegan meal prep ideas that you can still try.
While they don’t mimic the taste and texture of udon noodles – they’re gelatinous and mostly tasteless – shirataki acts like a sponge and absorbs the flavor of broths and sauces.
You can substitute udon for shirataki noodles using a 1:1 ratio. A significant advantage of shirataki noodles is that they do not overcook and can handle a long simmer without losing their texture.
Also known as miracle noodles, shirataki noodles contain 97% water and 3% glucomannan. Glucomannan offers impressive health benefits, including promoting weight loss, bowel regularity, and controlling blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Zucchini Noodles
Zucchini noodles are a lighter, brighter, nutritious alternative to udon noodles. They are ideal for those looking for something to add to their gluten-free meal prep. Texture-wise, zoodles are tender with a mild, slightly sweet flavor.
You can substitute udon for zucchini noodles using a 1:1 ratio. Boil or stir-fry zoodles for 1 to 2 minutes. They quickly become soft and mushy, so adding them to your dish is best before serving them.
Zucchini is low in sugar, fat, and calories, and high in fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium, making it an excellent substitute for udon noodles. The dark green skin provides most nutrients, so try enjoying it unpeeled.
While zucchini noodles can be bought at the store, they are so easy to make yourself – and the kids love helping, too! I like using a spiralizer, yet a julienne peeler or mandoline will do the trick, too. My secret to perfectly cooked zucchini noodles is squeezing the excess water before cooking.
Regular Pasta
I love pasta meal prep, and I find that this classic pantry staple saves the day time and again. You can use pasta as an easy substitute for udon noodles. My top pasta recommendations are long-stranded varieties like linguine, bucatini, spaghetti, or chitarra.
You can substitute udon for pasta using a 1:1 ratio. Use regular as a udon noodle substitute in salads, broths, soups, stir-fries, and more.
My mom-in-law shared an easy hack to mimic the texture of udon noodles and here’s how I meal prep pasta. Boil pasta in water with a tablespoon of baking soda and kosher salt. When the pasta is done cooking, rinse it under cold water to remove the baking soda flavor. This will help you achieve bouncy, delightfully chewy noodles – it works every single time!
Understanding Udon Noodles
Udon noodles are thick, chewy noodles made from wheat flour, salt, and water. Like most noodles, udon consists mostly of carbs with small amounts of protein.
One cup of udon noodles contains approximately:
- Calories: 196
- Carbs: 38 grams
- Protein: 7 grams
- Sodium: 152 milligrams
Are Udon Noodles Healthy?
On the plus side, udon contains complex carbs and is easily digestible. However, the noodles are packed with excessive sodium and should be eaten moderately.
Many brands add regular flour to improve the texture. Carefully read the labels to ensure you choose a brand made from whole-wheat flour only.
Reasons to Substitute Udon Noodles
Udon noodles aren’t particularly healthy. Some people may want a healthy replacement for their gluten-free breakfast or low-carb lunch recipes.
You may have run out of udon needles and need a quick replacement instead of going to the store, making pasta and ramen excellent replacements.
Related Questions
Are Udon Noodles Gluten-free?
Udon noodles aren’t gluten-free. They are primarily made from wheat flour, a ground grain that naturally contains gluten. However, some manufacturers sell gluten-free udon noodles made from rice flour or buckwheat flour.
What is the Best Gluten-free Substitute for Udon Noodles?
100% gluten-free buckwheat soba noodles are the best gluten-free substitute for udon noodles. Another healthy alternative is zucchini noodles.
Can I Substitute Udon Noodles with Spaghetti?
Spaghetti is an excellent alternative to udon noodles despite their texture and appearance differences. To mimic udon’s texture, boil the spaghetti in water with a tablespoon of baking soda and kosher salt.
Conclusion
There are plenty of options that work as excellent noodle substitutes. Soba, ramen, shirataki, and zucchini noodles are my personal favorites. However, the list is not exhaustive – you can also try lo mein, hiyamugi, and wonton noodles. Consider your recipe when choosing an udon replacement to ensure it complements your dish.
Nathaniel Lee is an avid cook, drawing on his decades of home cooking and fine dining experience. He is a contributing chef at Mashed, and his recipes and contributions have been featured in Tasting Table, Edible Arrangements, Insanely Good Recipes, and The Daily Meal.
