Noodles will forever be my ultimate comfort food. No matter what corner of the world they’re from or what sauce or broth adorns them, I want to slurp ’em. You could say I’ve never met a noodle I didn’t like. I’ve met a few that had room for improvement, sure. But an inedible noodle? I doubt their existence. And to celebrate this fact, I have some highly edible noodles for you today. These Creamy Scallion Udon Noodles, to be exact. This relatively simple dish features chewy udon noodles swimming in a scallion-rich coconut broth, garnished with scallion curls, sesame seeds, and a sprinkling of wild violet petals.
A Brief History of Udon Noodles:
Udon noodles have a surprisingly long and illustrious history. Their presence in Japan dates back to the 8th century, when Chinese Buddhist monks brought wheat-based doughs to the region during the Nara period (710 – 794). Udon traces its roots back to two dishes popularized during this period: konton (the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word wonton) and bakutan. At the time, konton were mostly sweet wheat flour dumplings filled with red bean paste. Bakutan was a simple dish consisting of thick, hand-torn or cut pieces of wheat dough boiled in a basic soup or stew. During this period, wheat was rare and expensive in Japan, so these dishes were reserved for nobility and Buddhist temples.
By the Muromachi period (1336 – 1573), these filled and rustic dumplings gave way to filling-less, long, stringy noodles, called kirimugi. Kirimugi means “cut wheat,” and it served as the true blueprint for modern udon and soba noodles. The Edo period (1603 – 1867) saw advancements in milling technology, which brought udon to the masses. And from there, regionally specific versions of the noodles emerged, such as Sanuki Udon (Kagawa), a firm, chewy version; Inaniwa Udon (Akita), a hand-stretched, thin, flat rendition; and Kishimen (Nagoya), wide, flat udon noodles.
Creamy Scallion Udon Noodles:
Nothing about today’s Creamy Scallion Udon Noodles is traditional. Other than in modern fusion dishes, coconut milk is not a classic Japanese ingredient. Largely because, you know, mainland Japan doesn’t produce any coconuts. And this dish is not a particular riff on any pre-existing dish. I did briefly think of the sweet corn udon noodles I made last summer as part of my It’s Corn! Dinner Party Menu, but it was not the main source of inspiration. I don’t know where this dish came from. It just strolled into my head one day. And I’m so glad it did because it’s become a fast favourite.
I know these noodles look simple, and they are. But they do require some ice baths and light pureeing. Basically, what I’m trying to say is that making this dish will generate dishes. Is it worth it? Oh my goodness, yes! But I think it’s important to go into this recipe with that in mind.
The first thing we’re going to tackle is ice bath number 1. I’m happy to report this ice bath is optional. Omitting it will only impact the overall look of the dish, because we’re going to use it to make the scallion curls on top. The process is simple: Take a scallion green and split it lengthwise. Then it is cut into a series of thin strips. Place these strips in the ice bath and leave them for roughly 30 minutes. By then, you should have a bowl of perfectly curled scallion ribbons. It’s a fun party trick to have in your back pocket, but again, it is optional.
Now, let’s talk about ice bath number 2: The non-negotiable. Well, that’s not true. I’m not the boss of you; you can do anything you want. But ideally, you would use this ice bath to stop cooking your scallion greens after you blanch them. The blanched scallion greens are then blitzed with a little lime juice (purée number 1) and added to the soup at the very end. This is how the broth gets its delicate, soft green hue.
But what about the scallion whites, you say? Well, don’t worry, they have an important role to play. They will be sautéed with garlic and ginger, then simmered in a heady mix of coconut milk, fish sauce, and raw sugar. The broth is then pureed in a blender (puree number 2) and combined with scallion green puree.
And from there, all you have to do is cook up some udon noodles. I prefer to work with frozen noodles. Place your cooked noodles in a bowl and completely drown them in the creamy scallion broth. Garnish with the curls you made earlier, some sesame seeds, and a handful of wild violet petals. The petals are, of course, optional. But these edible beauties have been dominating my yard, so I couldn’t help but include them.
And that’s everything you need to know (and then some) about these Creamy Scallion Udon Noodles. Honestly, if you make one dish from this website, let it be this one. I am seriously head over heels!
Enjoy!
Creamy Scallion Udon Noodles
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Fill a 2 bowls halfway with cold water. Add 4-5 ice cubes to each bowl. Take 2 of the scallion greens and cut them into thin slices lengthwise. Place them in one of the ice baths and let them sit for 30 minutes. They will naturally curl over time.12 scallions
- Bring a small saucepan of water up to a boil. Add the remaining scallion greens and turn off the heat. Let them stand for 1 minute before plunging them into the second ice bath. Let them stand for a minute more.
- Drain the blanched scallion greens and transfer them to a high-powered blender. Add the lime juice and blitz until very smooth. Pour the purée into a bowl and set it aside until ready to use.1 lime
- Place a heavy-bottom pot over medium heat. Add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the scallion whites and sauté until just softened. Stir in the garlic and ginger, and sauté for a minute more. Pour in the coconut milk, fish sauce, and sugar. Bring everything up to a simmer and let it cook for 15 minutes.1 tbsp neutral oil , 4 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp ginger, 2 (400 ml, 13.5 fl oz) cans coconut milk, 3 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tsp raw sugar
- While the broth is simmering, bring a large pot of water up to a boil. Add the udon noodles and cook according to the package's directions. Drain the noodles and divide them across four bowls.1.25 kg (3 lbs) udon noodles
- Take the coconut mixture off the heat and transfer it to a blender. Carefully blend the broth until smooth. Pour it back into the pot and add the scallion purée. Stir to combine.
- Drain the scallion curls and sprinkle them over the noodles. Finish with toasted sesame seeds, drained scallion curls, and wild violet petals. Serve immediately.1 tsp toasted sesame seeds, Wild violet petals
