Broccoli & Udon Stir-Fry
Asian-inspired stir-fry that makes a quick and hearty supper. Without meat, it’s also a good option for a side dish. There’s lots of room to experiment here with more or less garlic or ginger, different vegetables, a little leftover chicken, or tofu or edamame for a vegetarian meal.
Servings: 4 servings
Equipment
- Large, deep frying pan or wok with lid
Ingredients
- 2 200-g packages udon noodles
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced See Notes, below.
- 1 large clove garlic, minced, or 1 tsp jarred minced garlic
- 1 cup broccoli florets, chopped, or other preferred vegetables See Notes, below.
- 1 chicken or other protein (about 225 g), cut into bite-sized pieces Optional. See notes, below.
- 1/4 cup store-bought Teryaki stir-fry sauce, or more, to taste See Notes, below.
Instructions
- Fill a large saucepan about 2/3 full of water. Let the water come to a boil, then add the noodles. Boil the noodles for 2-3 minutes, breaking up into smaller pieces if desired. Drain and let sit in colander while you continue the recipe.
- Prepare vegetables and protein, if using. Set aside.
- Drizzle a small amount of olive or canola oil into a large, deep frying pan or a wok. (You’ll need a lid.) Heat over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds.
- If you are including a protein--chicken or other meat--that is uncooked, stir-fry it in the oil for 6-8 minutes or until cooked through. Remove to a plate and cover with a lid to keep warm. (If you are using pre-cooked meat, add it when you add the noodles, below.)
- Reduce heat to medium and add a bit more oil to the pan. Add broccoli and stir to coat. Stir-fry for about 1 minute.
- Clear a space in the centre of the pan and add about 1/2 tsp of oil. Add ginger and garlic to the cleared space and cook for about 30 seconds, then stir into broccoli. Add a tablespoon or so of sauce for moisture, then cover the pan and cook for about 2 minutes, checking to ensure the broccoli is not drying out.
- Add drained noodles and meat--if using--to pan. Toss with the remaining sauce until covered. Add more sauce as needed. The noodles should turn light brown from absorbing the sauce.
- Cover the frying pan and cook until everything is heated through and vegetables are crisp-tender, about 2-3 minutes.
- Serve plain or garnish with green onions, toasted sesame seeds, chopped peanuts, or anything you prefer.
Notes
- We like a lot of ginger so I have gone easy on it here. If you like a strong ginger taste, add more. We generally go with about 4 tsp (i.e. 1 tbsp plus a tsp).
- One cup is the minimum of vegetables. If you add more, you may want to add a bit more sauce to cover everything.
- If you use vegetables that take a long time to cook, like carrots, slice them thinly. You can use any mix of vegetables, for example: small broccoli florets, mushrooms, or diced red pepper.
- Cooking time includes time to cook meat. You can also use leftover cooked chicken or other meat, diced. Tofu would work as well but marinate the tofu first in a bit of the sauce. Edamame is another good option for a vegetarian protein. If your protein is already cooked, just add it near the end of the cooking time to heat through.
- I used to make my own sauce for this recipe, but I found it was too much to deal with on a busy weeknight. A friend recommended a really good bottled sauce, so we use that. (It's San-J teryaki sauce, which is available in most grocery stores, sometimes in the health food section.) You can use whatever sauce you prefer.