Can I use fresh instead of dried udon noodles?

Yes, precooked udon noodles from the refrigerated section work very well. For this recipe you need about 3 packs of 200 gr (7 oz.). Pour hot water over them or put them into boiling water for 1 minute so they come apart, then add them straight to the wok.

How do I make the udon noodles vegan?

Replace the honey in the sauce with maple syrup or agave syrup. All the other ingredients are plant-based; just check that your noodles are made without egg, which is almost always the case with udon.

Does the red cabbage get soft enough in the wok?

Yes, as long as you slice or shave it very thinly. In 7 to 10 minutes over high heat it turns tender but keeps a little crunch. The rice vinegar in the sauce also helps it keep its beautiful purple color.

Which peanut butter is best for the sauce?

Ideally a pure peanut butter without sugar or palm oil, creamy or crunchy. If you can't eat peanuts, use almond butter or tahini and leave out the roasted peanuts or swap them for toasted sesame seeds.

Can I reheat the udon noodles or eat them cold?

Both work. In a well-sealed container they keep for 2 days in the fridge. To reheat, add them to a skillet with 2 to 3 Tbsp of water so the sauce turns creamy again. Cold, they taste like a noodle salad, then I add another squeeze of lime.

20 OCTOBER 2026

Udon Noodles with Red Cabbage and Peanut Sauce

Name: Udon Noodles with Red Cabbage and Peanut Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 3 servings
Ingredients: 200 gr (7 oz.) udon noodles; 200 gr (7 oz.) red cabbage; 2 carrots; 150 gr (5.3 oz.) baby corn; 150 gr (5.3 oz.) edamame; 2 baby pak choi; 100 gr (3.5 oz.) bean sprouts; 2 spring onions; 1 tsp fresh ginger; 1 garlic clove; 1 Tbsp rapeseed oil; 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil; 3 Tbsp peanut butter; 2 Tbsp soy sauce; 2 Tbsp rice vinegar; 1 Tbsp honey; 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil; 1/2 lime; 3-4 Tbsp water; 2 Tbsp roasted peanuts

By Verena Frei

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Prep: 15 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 30 min
Servings: 3 servings

What can I cook tonight?Tap what you have at home and I will show you what fits.e.g. withudonred cabbagecarrot

Hello lovelies,

when dinner has to be quick and still taste really good, udon noodles with red cabbage often land in my wok. The thick, soft noodles, the crunchy purple cabbage, edamame and baby corn and a creamy peanut sauce on top: for me that is soul food on a cool autumn evening, and everything is ready in 30 minutes.

Close-up of udon noodles with red cabbage, chopped peanuts, edamame and spring onions

I simply love thick noodles with peanuts. If you know my scissor-cut noodles with spinach and peanuts, you will feel right at home here, only this time a whole mountain of vegetables and a creamy peanut sauce go into the wok too.

Red cabbage, done differently

Most people know red cabbage as a side for a festive meal, slowly braised with apple and spices. In the wok it shows a completely different side: finely sliced and stir-fried briefly over high heat, it stays crunchy, tastes mild and slightly sweet and brings a beautiful color to the plate. The rice vinegar in the sauce keeps the purple nice and bright.

Udon noodles with red cabbage, carrots and peanuts from above in a green bowl with chopsticks

The most important part of any wok dish is the prep. I always slice all the vegetables and stir the sauce together first, and only then do the noodles go into the water and the wok onto the stove. From there it only takes a few minutes, and nothing burns because you still have to chop a garlic clove.

For really rushed evenings I also have my quick veggie stir-fry noodles in my repertoire, a recipe I have been cooking again and again for years. The udon noodles here are the heartier autumn version with peanut sauce.

Chopsticks in a bowl of udon noodles with red cabbage and peanut sauce

Green bowl with udon, red cabbage, edamame and baby corn, photographed close from above

Ingredients for the udon noodles: red cabbage, pak choi, carrots, baby corn, sprouts, edamame and peanut butter

Our kids love eating the noodles with chopsticks, even if half of them end up back in the bowl. So we simply put a fork next to them as a lifeline.

Red cabbage in Asian cooking already won me over with my vegan bao buns with pulled mushrooms, where fine raw strips of it bring freshness and crunch to the soft buns.

Give these udon noodles a try and tell me in the comments which vegetables you put in your wok.

Yours, Verena

TIPS

Verena's notes

Tip from my kitchen: prep all the vegetables before the wok gets hot, because from then on everything moves fast. I like to slice the red cabbage on a mandoline so it turns out paper-thin. Instead of baby corn, snow peas or broccoli florets work well too. If you like it spicy, stir 1 tsp sriracha or a little chili oil into the peanut sauce. With maple syrup instead of honey the dish is vegan.

Udon noodles with red cabbage, edamame and peanuts in a green bowl, chopsticks beside it on a dark surface

Udon Noodles with Red Cabbage and Peanut Sauce

Thick udon noodles with red cabbage, edamame, baby corn and pak choi from the wok, tossed in a creamy peanut sauce and sprinkled with peanuts.

Course:Main Course
Prep:15 min
Cook:15 min
Servings:3 servings

Vegetarian

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EQUIPMENT

large wok or large skillet
large pot
colander
small bowl
whisk or fork
fine grater for the ginger
knife and cutting board

INGREDIENTS

For the noodles and vegetables:

200gr (7 oz.)udon noodles dried
200gr (7 oz.)red cabbage finely sliced
2carrots
150gr (5.3 oz.)baby corn fresh
150gr (5.3 oz.)edamame frozen, thawed
2baby pak choi
100gr (3.5 oz.)bean sprouts for example mung bean sprouts
2spring onions
1tspfresh ginger grated
1garlic clove
1Tbsprapeseed oil
1Tbsptoasted sesame oil

For the peanut sauce:

3Tbsppeanut butter
2Tbspsoy sauce
2Tbsprice vinegar
1Tbsphoney
1Tbsptoasted sesame oil
1/2lime for 1 Tbsp juice
3-4Tbspwater

To serve:

2Tbsproasted peanuts roughly chopped

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INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare the vegetables

Wash the vegetables. Slice or shave the red cabbage very thinly. Peel the carrots and cut them into thin sticks. Quarter the baby corn lengthwise. Cut the pak choi into strips.
Slice the spring onions into thin rings. Peel and finely grate the ginger. Peel and finely chop the garlic.

Stir together the peanut sauce

In a small bowl, stir the peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil and 1 Tbsp lime juice until smooth.
Add water one spoonful at a time until the sauce is thick but still easy to pour.

Cook the noodles

Cook the udon noodles in boiling water according to the package instructions, drain them in a colander and let them drip well.

Stir-fry the vegetables

Heat the rapeseed oil and sesame oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat. Stir-fry the red cabbage, carrots, edamame and baby corn for 7 to 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
Add the ginger, garlic, pak choi and bean sprouts and stir-fry for 2 more minutes.
Add the udon noodles to the wok and toss them with the vegetables.
Pour the peanut sauce over everything and mix well until the noodles and vegetables are coated all over.

Serve

Fold in the spring onions and heat everything through once more.
Sprinkle the udon noodles with the chopped peanuts and serve with the rest of the lime cut into wedges.

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Calories: 650 kcal
Protein: 21 g

GOOD TO KNOW

Frequently asked questions

Yes, precooked udon noodles from the refrigerated section work very well. For this recipe you need about 3 packs of 200 gr (7 oz.). Pour hot water over them or put them into boiling water for 1 minute so they come apart, then add them straight to the wok.
Replace the honey in the sauce with maple syrup or agave syrup. All the other ingredients are plant-based; just check that your noodles are made without egg, which is almost always the case with udon.
Yes, as long as you slice or shave it very thinly. In 7 to 10 minutes over high heat it turns tender but keeps a little crunch. The rice vinegar in the sauce also helps it keep its beautiful purple color.
Ideally a pure peanut butter without sugar or palm oil, creamy or crunchy. If you can't eat peanuts, use almond butter or tahini and leave out the roasted peanuts or swap them for toasted sesame seeds.
Both work. In a well-sealed container they keep for 2 days in the fridge. To reheat, add them to a skillet with 2 to 3 Tbsp of water so the sauce turns creamy again. Cold, they taste like a noodle salad, then I add another squeeze of lime.

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TAGS:NOODLESRED CABBAGEPEANUT BUTTEREDAMAMEASIANWOKQUICKVEGGIESVEGETARIAN

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