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Easy Vegan Kale Tahini Udon_MidPage@2x

Easy Vegan Kale Tahini Udon

This easy vegan kale tahini udon is so easy to make but doesn't lack in flavor or heat! It's a great Meatless Monday recipe to add to the rotation.
4.56 from 9 votes
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4
Calories: 301kcal

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Heat-proof glass jar
  • Sauté pan
  • Sieve
  • Tongs

Ingredients

Pickled mushrooms:

  • 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms stems discarded, and caps thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon smoked shoyu optional
  • 2 Thai chili peppers halved or use crushed red pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup water

Tahini Udon:

  • 1 bunch curly kale ribs removed, and leaves chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 16 ounces fresh frozen, or dry udon noodles
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil
  • 2 shallots peeled and thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons smoked shoyu optional
  • ¼ cup tahini
  • 1 tablespoon chili oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Prepare the pickled mushrooms:

  • Place all of the ingredients for the pickled mushrooms in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Once the sugar is dissolved, turn off the heat and stand for 5 minutes. Then, carefully pour into a heat-proof glass mason jar. Cover and transfer to the refrigerator as you prepare the rest of the meal.

Prepare the kale:

  • Wash out the pot used for the mushrooms and fill it back up with water. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the kale leaves for 30 seconds. Drain and immediately transfer the leaves to an ice bath until completely cooled. Set aside.

Prepare the noodles:

  • Wash out the pot used for the kale and fill it back up with water. Bring to a boil.

Prepare the sauce:

  • In a large sauté pan, heat the neutral oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the shallot and cook, stirring often, for 5–7 minutes until the shallots brown around the edges. Be careful not to burn them! Sprinkle the shallots with sugar and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and shoyu if using. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low.
  • Add the tahini and chili oil and whisk to incorporate. Continue whisking until completely emulsified and smooth. Turn off the heat.

Cook the udon:

  • To the pot of boiling water, add the udon. Cook according to package instructions.

Finish the udon:

  • If the tahini separated, whisk vigorously to emulsify it once more. Then, using tongs, add half the udon straight from the pot of boiling water to the tahini sauce. Toss gently to coat with the sauce. It should be very glossy! Add the remaining udon from the pot with tongs and toss to coat in the sauce.
  • Drain the kale from the ice bath and squeeze to remove excess water. Add the kale to the noodles and turn the heat on the sauté pan to low. Cook for 1–3 minutes to warm the kale through. Taste and season to your preferences. Turn off the heat.

To serve:

  • Serve the udon in bowls. Add pickled mushrooms to each dish and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 301kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 19g | Sodium: 950mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin C: 8mg
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