I am so excited to share this simple vegetarian Brussels sprouts coconut udon noodle soup with you. Besides being delicious, it warms you up and it’s comforting. The combination of soft, lightly chewy noodles, roasted Brussels sprouts, spicy beansprout topping and the creamy coconut soup base is scrumptious.
A great satisfying meal made with just a few ingredients. There’s nothing better than to slurp the long noodles in a hot soup on a rainy and cold day. It’s perfect for a winter or a fall lunch or dinner with family and friends.
I googled for some tips on this combo, but only a few recipes could almost resemble my idea. Ha? I thought you can find everything on the internet. Wink. Well, now you can. Haha. What is amazing about this recipe is really everything. It’s easy and quick to make, comforting, filling, packed with flavour, has a mix of textures, ideal for lunch or dinner and is absolutely delicious.
Some weeks ago, I visited an Asian market, where I’ve planned to buy some specific noodles. But once I entered the shop, I got distracted by thousands of goods. There was an infinity of noodles, sauces, beans, spices and so on. In the end, I left the shop with pre-cooked udon noodles, some dry beans, coconut milk and some spices. Wink.
Udon noodles
Udon noodles are thick white noodles made from wheat flour, having a big role in Japanese cuisine. You can enjoy them either warm or cold. Udon noodles are soft and chewy and due to their neutral flavour, they like to absorb strong-flavoured ingredients around them. They make a portion of great comfort food and it is extremely fun to slurp them. Wink.
I picked pre-cooked udon noodles because they were the perfect pair to this coconut base, the fragrant seasoning and the roasted Brussels sprouts. As I mentioned, the noodles come pre-cooked, so all you really need to do is to add them to the soup pot for about 5 minutes.
This recipe describes a quick method for a delicious soup base. All you need is some spices, creamy coconut milk and fresh cilantro. When buying coconut milk, and I am saying this every time, go for the full-fat option. Believe me, you’ll get the creamiest and most delicious results. Also, if you are not a cilantro lover, take parsley. The soup will taste delicious, too.
For more soup recipes, you might check this protein pastrami soup, a wintery carrot soup with spicy meatballs or a bean and sour turnip soup, too.
This udon noodle soup wouldn’t be complete without this topping. Beansprouts are shortly cooked in chili oil, turmeric and then mixed with plenty of fresh coriander to bring a light spicy note to the soup. At the same time, beansprouts and Brussels sprouts have a nice texture that pairs perfectly with soft noodles.
Ingredients for two portions of Brussels sprouts coconut Udon noodle soup:
- 20 Brussels sprouts
- olive oil
- sea salt
- 100 ml water
- 250 ml coconut milk (full-fat)
- 100 ml vegetable stock
- 2 tsp of chili oil
- 1 tsp of turmeric
- 1/2 tsp of coriander powder
- 50 g bean sprouts
- 1 garlic clove (finely chopped or grated)
- 300-400 g pre-cooked udon noodles
- 1/2 a bund of fresh coriander (chopped)
To begin, preheat the oven to 200º. Then, wash, trim and halve the Brussels sprouts. Lay them, in a single layer, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and drizzle them with some olive oil. Give them a shake, sprinkle with some sea salt and put in the oven for 20 minutes or until lightly golden brown and soften.
In the meantime prepare the beans sprouts and soup base. In a medium frying pan, drizzle the chili oil. Once hot, stir in the turmeric and coriander powder and cook until paste forms. At this point, lower the heat, stir in the grated garlic and the bean sprouts. Also, add a splash of water when needed. Add the chopped coriander and cook for a couple of minutes with continuous stirring.
In a medium pot, combine water, coconut milk and vegetable stock. Bring to a light simmer. Five minutes before serving, place the udon noodles in the coconut soup base and let them simmer.
Finally, divide half of the bean sprouts between the two bowls, top with noodles and add 8-12 roasted Brussels sprouts halves on them. Pour the coconut soup on top, spoon the remaining sprouts and sprinkle with fresh cilantro. It’s time to slurp down the Brussels sprouts coconut udon noodle soup.
Enjoy.
