Enjoy udon noodles served in this savory soup by using your chopsticks while making a slurping sound. Slurping enhances the flavors of this dish 🙂
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Cooking for two can be a challege, but with a little planning and creativity, it can be enjoyable. One of our tips is to embrace conveience. Sometimes, convenience foods can be a lifesaver when cooking for two.
You can buy pre-cut vegetales or pre-cooked grains to save time. For this recipe, we are incorporating pre-cooked udon noodles, and we are letting the Instant Pot do all the heavy lifting of this meal prep process.
What is udon noodles?
If you’re looking for a new side dish to accompany your meal prep, give udon noodles a try. Udon noodles are chewy Japanese noodles made from wheat flour, water, and salt. They are thicker than ramen and soba noodles that you often find in Asian recipes.
They are often served in a simple broth or used in stir fry recipes. The great thing about this ingredient is that you can often find them already packaged and pre-cooked in the international aisles of the grocery store. This means no cooking is required! When it comes to meal prep, you definitely want to incorporate ready to eat ingredients to cut down on prep time.
Not only are udon noodles a great alternate to rice, udon noodles can be a healthy addition to your meal prep as long as they are portioned right and portioned with a fair amount of protein and fiber.
Ingredients for Instant Pot Beef Udon Soup
- Beef: We used lean beef stew meat, but you can use cubed pork or chicken for this recipe
- Bell Peppers: This adds a sweetness to the broth and also vibrant colors. If you don’t have bell peppers, you can also use carrots or butternut squash
- Aromatics: Green onions, onions and garlic cloves add a ton of flavor to your cooking
- Herbs: We used green onions, but you can easily use fresh cilantro or basil
- Udon Noodles: You can use dried udon noodles or soft udon noodles that are pre-cooked. For the ease of meal prep, we opted for the soft udon noodels so that there is no pre-cooking required. All you have to do is heat them up.
How to Make Beef Udon Soup Using Instant Pot
- Add the beef, vegetables, broth, and seasonings to the pot.
- Add the broth and seal the lid.
- Cook on medium setting for 25 minutes.
- After the beef cooks, carefully release the steam and remove the lid.
- Ladle the soup over udon noodles.
Reference the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Meal Prep Tips for Instant Pot Beef Udon
- Additional ingredients: For extra seasoning, you can add 1/2 tsp of star anise seeds. This is a great seasoning that can add a sweet-licorice-peppery flavor often found in Asian dishes. To add extra flavor, you can also drizzle chili oil as a garnish for a little bit of heat.
- What to serve with beef udon: You can also add cubes of fried tofu or a boiled egg. Pickled veggies such as radish brined in vinegar and seasonings gives a sour and crunchy texture that is delicious with udon noodles.
- Large Batches: Increase the serving size of the recipe and make a large batch that you can freeze. Store it in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze it for up to 3 months for the best quality.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days for the best quality.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this beef udon noodle soup with my slow cooker?
Yes, you can cook the beef and vegetables on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours. After the beef cooks, ladle the soup over the udon noodles.
Are udon noodles gluten free?
Udon noodles are not gluten free. Their primary ingredient is wheat flour, which contains gluten. If you have a gluten allergy, you can substitute with rice noodles.
What is the difference between udon noodles and ramen noodles?
Udon noodles are thicker than ramen noodles. The main big difference is that ramen is made with egg while udon is vegan.
Instant Pot Recipe for Beef Udon Noodle Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes