By Hetty Lui McKinnon
Updated Oct. 11, 2023
- Total Time
- 25 minutes
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 10 minutes
- Rating
- 4(179)
- Notes
- Read community notes
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
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
895 calories; 25 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 135 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 35 grams protein; 944 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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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
179
user ratings
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Cooking Notes
Mary
Had regular tofu and used lightly sweet miso for seasoning. Very good.
Chris
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?
Connie
This was delicious! I couldn’t find fuyu so used miso and it was great. Also added Chili Crisp which I agree was tasty.
Chicook
This was delicious! I accidentally bought the red fuyu - and added some carrots. The whole family loved it, including the very picky kids.
Genevieve
I made this and I was really delighted! Fuyu is a new ingredient for me. I used a different vegetable (snow peas) instead of zucchini and I think a lot of other vegetables could also work (asparagus, peppers, broccoli--or leafy greens, likely added a little later). I also used vegan "butter," and finally, added a bit of finely sliced Thai green chiles at the end for a little bit of heat. Other than that I followed the recipe near-exactly, though I eyeballed some of the measurements. So good!
Sal
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.
Carol
I would add ginger and Thai basil for more flavor.
khb
Miso worked. Delicious. Serve with chili crisp. Used yellow squash. Seems it would work with rice.
Erica
I got spicy fuyu (all that was available) and I'd reduce to 3 tbsp with 1 tbsp miso. Otherwise so delicious!!
Jamie
Really good and really easy and fast! I used white miso and it was still delicious! added thinly cut carrots as well, nice for color and more veggies always good! Definitely could use almost any veggies in this, though the thinky cut batons are nice with the udon.
Aracataca
My kid loved it. I used red miso because that’s what I had, but followed all other steps.
A&E
Felt like it may have benefited from something with more brightness, acidity or heat. Otherwise a tasty recipe with a new ingredient we have never used--fuyu!
Becky 2
Spiralized the zucchini and used way more (tripled) than listed bc I wanted more veggies. Used olive oil in the sauce instead of butter. Second time I made it, used impossible ground “beef” which had a better consistency than the crumbled tofu (too soft). Added chopped cashews on top for crunch and sliced raw red peppers for color.
jencandstevenb
A few months ago I randomly bought fuyu at a well stocked Asian grocery store not actually knowing what it was, then searched for recipes using it. This is absolutely delicious, and is now a reason I buy fuyu! Easy, relatively healthy, and tasty
Greg
This is a keeper! Added a tablespoon of chili crisp with the zucchini, garlic and a 1/2 tablespoon of fresh chopped ginger. Think we will add some red pepper slices or sugar snap peas next time. We can’t wait to make it again.
Phyllis Ho
I used this recipe as a base for what I had at home. My substituted ingredients included:brown Miso paste, slices of onions, potato noodles, thin slices of organic carrots and acorn squash and tender beef. I also added Chinese cooking wine and sesame oil to the pan while preparing the initial saute.
Nevenka
This was blander than we usually eat but it was still well liked by the family. I wondered about using the red fuyu and thought carrot batons would be a good addition. The chili garlic topping was on the table and people didn't use it so maybe all was good. It was super easy and quick to whip up so I'll make it again.
Michael
I can't get fuyu near me so I used miso paste as a sub in the sauce - it was good but I felt like it needed a little more, I added some rice vinegar to give it a little acidity that you lose from not having the fermented ingredients. I also added about a tablespoon of chili crush for a touch of heat. I also used olive oil instead of butter to make it vegan - but I bet this would also benefit greatly from browning the butter first.
Sal
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.
khb
Miso worked. Delicious. Serve with chili crisp. Used yellow squash. Seems it would work with rice.
khb
Make with miso and serve with chili crisp
Karen
This is delicious! A new taste treat for me. It introduced me to shoyu, which I found in a local Asian grocery store, along with frozen udon noodles.
Linds
Used the miso sub and added corn plus a little onion powder to the veggies. Really yummy - the butter makes it rich and comforting. Agree w/ others on the chili crisp at the end for an extra oomph
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