Zucchini Tofu Udon

Name: Zucchini Tofu Udon
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1½ pounds (4 blocks) fresh, vacuum-sealed udon noodles; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted; 4 tablespoons white fuyu (fermented tofu), plus optional 1 tablespoon of the brine (see Tip) (or white miso); 2 tablespoons soy sauce; Extra virgin olive oil; 1 (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled; 1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more to taste; 2 medium zucchini (12 ounces), trimmed and cut into 1/4 inch batons; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 scallions, trimmed and finely sliced

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Updated Oct. 11, 2023

Zucchini Tofu Udon — James Ransom for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero

Total Time: 25 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Rating: 4(233)
Comments: Read comments

Fuyu, or fermented tofu, is the umami star of this quick noodle dish, delivering a briny, tangy saltiness that is also creamy. Also called furu or doufuru, it is made by fermenting soybean curds in a brine of rice wine, water, salt and spices. It has a strong flavor on its own, but when used to stir-fry noodles (or greens, as it is commonly employed in Chinese cooking), its punchiness mellows into a subtly sweet hum that is redolent of buttery blue cheese. This dish is finished with a generous amount of black pepper, giving it unmistakable cacio e pepe vibes. In a dish where black pepper is front and center like this one, freshly ground is preferred, but measuring it can be cumbersome, so if you are using a grinder, 1 teaspoon amounts to about 50 to 60 turns.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

1½ pounds (4 blocks) fresh, vacuum-sealed udon noodles
4tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4tablespoons white fuyu (fermented tofu), plus optional 1 tablespoon of the brine (see Tip) (or white miso)
2tablespoons soy sauce
Extra virgin olive oil
1(14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled
1teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more to taste
2medium zucchini (12 ounces), trimmed and cut into ¼ inch batons
2garlic cloves, finely chopped
1teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2scallions, trimmed and finely sliced

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
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.
Step 2
Meanwhile, place the melted butter, fuyu and soy sauce in a bowl and whisk together until smooth. If the mixture looks too thick, add 1 tablespoon of the fuyu brine or water to loosen up the mixture. Set aside.
Step 3
Heat a large 12-inch skillet or wok on medium high. When hot, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil, along with the tofu and salt and toss for 2 to 3 minutes until the tofu has released some of its liquid. Add the zucchini and garlic and toss for 2 minutes until it has softened.
Step 4
Add the udon, the butter-fuyu mixture and black pepper and toss well to combine. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, until the noodles are heated through.
Step 5
To serve, top with scallions.

Tip

Fuyu is available at Chinese and Asian grocery stores. It comes in two varieties: White, which is golden in color and is used in this recipe; and red, also called hong furu or nam yu, which is made with red yeast rice and is stronger in flavor. If you can’t access fuyu, substitute with white (shiro) miso.

Ratings

4 out of 5

233 user ratings

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Comments

Mary1 year ago

Had regular tofu and used lightly sweet miso for seasoning. Very good.

Chris1 year ago

We decided to spice this up with Trader Joe’s Crunch Chili Onion Sauce. It was too bland for us. Maybe add some peanuts next time?

Sal1 year ago

I also accidentally bought the red fuyu because I had no idea what I was doing. My husband is not a fan of blue cheese (a flavor referenced in the recipe introduction), so I had him taste a bit of the fuyu before I committed. He thought it was delicious, so yay. I used frozen udon noodles, used a timer for cooking the zucchini because I am prone to overcooking it (focus!), and the dish was delicious, if tinted a little red.

Mick G2 weeks ago

Anyone skipped the tofu?

Melanie4 months ago

We loved this. I used white miso and added carrots and mushrooms in addition to the zucchini. I wanted to try substituting shiritaki noodles instead of udon for less of a glucose impact. My grocery store didn’t have them. Next time!

Cristina4 months ago

We loved this. Used white miso and added julienned red peppers and baby carrots and cooked a little before we added the zucchini. Used dried udon noodles instead of freeze-dried.

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