Sesame Chili Udon Noodles

Inspired by the traditional dan dan noodles, these sesame chili udon noodles have a savory tofu mushroom topping, crushed peanuts, fresh cilantro, and pickled cucumbers for one amazing meal. You'll be amazed at how quickly such a delicious meal can come together!

Watch how to make this

Ingredients

• Persian cucumbers: The small, crisp cucumbers with thin skin, fewer seeds, and a mild, slightly sweet flavor are ideal for pickling.
• Rice vinegar: A type of vinegar made from fermented rice wine with a mild, slightly sweet flavor. White wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar can be used as a substitute.
• Extra firm tofu: Use extra firm tofu which has a dense texture, making it suitable for stir-frying and crumbling.
• Shiitake mushrooms: The flavorful meaty mushrooms add a distinct umami taste to the savory topping. Replace them with another type of mushroom such as cremini or button if desired.
• Shaoxing wine: A Chinese rice wine used in cooking to enhance flavors and add depth. If you can't find Shaoxing wine, use dry sherry instead.
• Hoisin: A thick, sweet, and savory sauce used in Chinese cuisine. It typically contains soybeans, garlic, chilies, and various spices.
• Five-spice powder: A blend of ground spices, usually star anise, cloves, Chinese cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, and fennel seeds.
• S&B chili oil with crunchy garlic: This specific brand is a Japanese chili oil with added crispy garlic bits for texture. You can substitute it with any other chili oil or hot sauce of your choice.
• Sesame paste: I used Wang Zhihe Pure Sesame Paste but you can also use tahini, which is also made from sesame seeds.
• Sichuan peppercorns: Sichuan peppercorns are not true peppercorns but dried berries with a citrusy and numbing flavor commonly used in Sichuan cuisine. Black peppercorns can be used as a substitute if you want to avoid the numbing sensation.
• Udon noodles: Udon noodles are thick, chewy Japanese noodles made from wheat flour, water, and salt.

Substitutions and variations

• Protein: You can add extra protein or substitute tofu with ground chicken, pork, turkey, or beef.
• Grains: You can also use other thick noodles like soba or rice noodles. For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free rice noodles.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Pickle the cucumbers

The noodles come together fairly quickly so let's start with the item that takes the longest, the pickled cucumbers. Combine boiling water with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt, stirring until the sugar dissolves. I always use boiling water to speed up the process.

Add the sliced cucumbers and let them sit for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Keep in mind that if you slice the cucumbers too thick, they will take longer to pickle.

Step 2: Prepare tofu topping

Next, make the crumbled tofu. To get the best texture, use extra firm tofu if possible. Drain the tofu and wrap it in paper towels. Place a weight on top of the tofu, like a small Pyrex container, and let it sit for 10 minutes. You want to drain as much of the water as possible.

Then, crumble the protein into small chunks so that it almost looks like ground meat (the operative word being "almost").

Heat oil in a saute pan and cook the tofu, letting it sit undisturbed for five minutes so that it can get nice and golden brown.

Once the tofu is browned, remove it from the pan and move on to the mushrooms. Finely chop the mushrooms either by hand or with the help of a food processor.

Then, saute the mushrooms until browned. Add back the tofu along with all of the seasonings and stir everything together.

For the seasonings, if you can't find Shaoxing wine, substitute it with sherry wine.

Keep the savory topping warm while you prepare the rest of the dish.

Step 3: Cook noodles

For the sauce, combine boiling water with sesame paste, chili oil, soy sauce, sugar, and ground Sichuan peppercorns until well mixed. I used S&B chili oil with crunchy garlic which is mild chili oil. However, you can use any other type of chili oil.

Cook the udon noodles according to the directions on the package and drain well. Toss the noodles with the sauce - go generous, it adds all the flavor - and top with the crumbled tofu, crushed peanuts, cilantro, and pickled cucumbers.

I didn't tell my husband at first that these sesame chili udon noodles were based on dan dan noodles. The original Chinese noodles are one of his favorite dishes so I didn't want to disappoint him with my version. Luckily, he thoroughly enjoyed this dish and I did as well!

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: The pickled cucumbers and sauce for the noodles can be prepared the day before. You can also cook the crumbled tofu topping the day before and reheat it before serving.
• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Frequently asked questions

More vegetarian Asian noodle recipes

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Recipe

Print Recipe

Sesame Chili Udon Noodles

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: Asian noodles, beverage

Servings: 4

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Pickled cucumbers

• 2 Persian cucumbers thinly sliced
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• ¼ cup boiling water
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Crumbled tofu

• 4 tablespoons oil divided
• 14 ounces extra firm tofu drained
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons hoisin
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon five spice powder
• salt and pepper

Sesame chili noodles

• ½ cup boiling water
• ½ cup S&B chili oil with crunchy garlic
• ¼ cup sesame paste
• 6 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 pound udon noodles
• ¼ cup chopped toasted peanuts
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

• Make the pickled cucumbers. Combine rice vinegar, boiling water, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring until sugar and salt dissolves. Add sliced cucumbers and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the fridge overnight.
• Prepare crumbled tofu topping. Wrap the drained tofu with paper towels and place a weight on top. Let sit for 10 minutes, draining the excess water. Remove paper towels and crumble tofu into small chunks.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Add crumbled tofu and let sit undisturbed for 5 minutes. Season with salt and stir to combine. Continue to cook until golden brown. Remove tofu from pan and set aside.
• In the same pan, heat another 2 tablespoons oil. Add chopped mushrooms and saute until browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1 more minute. Add back tofu along with Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, hoisin, sugar, and five spice powder. Mix to combine and simmer for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
• Make sauce for noodles. Whisk together boiling water with chili oil, sesame paste, soy sauce, sugar, and Sichuan peppercorns until well combined.
• Cook udon noodles according to directions on package. Drain and immediately add as much as sauce as you like, stirring to combine.
• Portion noodles into bowls and top with crumbled tofu. Garnish with pickled cucumber, chopped peanuts, and cilantro. Serve immediately.

Notes

The pickled cucumbers and sauce for the noodles can be prepared the day before.