In this weeknight dish, caramelized mushrooms are bathed in a satiny glaze of honey and butter, delivering the winning trifecta of sweet, savory and earthy. Cremini mushrooms are the hardest workers of the fungi world; they are inexpensive and accessible, and while they may not feel as fancy as some wild varieties, with some time in the pan, they burst with complex flavor. (Button mushrooms also do the job well.) Chubby udon are the ideal carriers for the luscious sauce, but for the most satisfying results, use fresh or frozen noodles, rather than the thinner dried strands. (Though in a pinch, they work, too).
Why Make This Honey Glazed Mushroom Udon Bowl
This honey glazed mushroom udon bowl recipe is one of my favorite recipes to make during the week! I can make a batch for a 3-4 meals and I love how flavorful and filling it is using affordable pantry ingredients. The honey glazed mushrooms give off the perfect balance of sweetness and umami, while the napa cabbage adds texture and crunch. Best all, this recipe comes together very quickly!
Tips for Making the Best Udon Bowls
This goes for all recipes, but especially this one, read through a recipe once through before starting. By doing so, you’ll have an idea of what each step is before the next, and make sure you have your ingredients prepped and ready to go.
Don’t overcook your noodles! We parcook them for only 2 minutes in the first step because we end up tossing the noodles (and cooking them) with the rest of the mushrooms and cabbage at the end. TThis ensures your noodles stay bouncy and delicious.
Use a large skillet! In this mushroom udon noodle bowl recipe, we use ingredients that are high volume like mushrooms and napa cabbage. They start out very voluminous in your pan but will get cooked down and shrink up to 50% in volume in the cooking process. To ensure an even honey glaze on your mushrooms and cabbage, be sure to use a large enough skillet.
Honey Glazed Mushroom Udon Noodle Bowl
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds fresh or frozen udon noodles
- 2 tbs neutral oil
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms stemmed and sliced into ¼-inch pieces
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 3 tbs honey
- 4 tbs butter preferably salted
- ½ head napa cabbage finely sliced (about 1 lb)
- 3 tbs soy sauce
- 2 scallions finely sliced
- 1 tbs toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the udon noodles and cook for about 2 minutes, using wooden chopsticks or tongs to gently loosen the noodles from their tight bundle. Drain, rinse with cold water and leave to continue draining while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Heat a wok or large (12-inch) skillet on medium-high, until very hot. Add oil and mushrooms, and stir-fry for 7 to 8 minutes, leaving undisturbed for 30 seconds to 1 minute at a time, to allow them to caramelize. Be patient! They will release a lot of liquid before browning.
- Add the garlic, ½ teaspoon salt and a few turns of black pepper. Drizzle the mushrooms with 2 tablespoons of honey, then add 3 tablespoons of butter and toss.
- Add the udon, napa cabbage and soy sauce to the pan, then toss for 2 minutes, until the cabbage is wilted and everything is combined. Remove from the heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon honey and 1 tablespoon butter.
- Taste and season with more salt and black pepper, if required. To serve, scatter with scallions and sesame seeds.
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