Honey-Glazed Mushrooms With Udon

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Updated January 16, 2024

  • Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(5,683)
Comments
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In this weeknight dish, caramelized mushrooms are bathed in a satiny glaze of honey and butter, delivering the winning trifecta of sweet, savory and earthy. Cremini mushrooms are the hardest workers of the fungi world; they are inexpensive and accessible, and while they may not feel as fancy as some wild varieties, with some time in the pan, they burst with complex flavor. (Button mushrooms also do the job well.) Chubby udon are the ideal carriers for the luscious sauce, but for the most satisfying results, use fresh or frozen noodles, rather than the thinner dried strands. (Though in a pinch, they work, too). To get vegetarian recipes like this one delivered to your inbox, sign up for The Veggie newsletter.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)

  • 1 ½ pounds frozen or fresh udon noodles (vacuum-sealed)

  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as vegetable or grapeseed

  • 1 pound cremini mushrooms, stemmed and sliced into ¼-inch pieces

  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • Black pepper

  • 3 tablespoons honey

  • 4 tablespoons butter, preferably salted (see Tip)

  • ½ small head Napa cabbage, finely sliced (about 1 pound)

  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 2 scallions, finely sliced

  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

117 grams carbs; 155 milligrams cholesterol; 711 calories; 4 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 17 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 1059 milligrams sodium; 26 grams protein; 16 grams sugar

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

  1. 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.

  2. Step 2

    Heat a wok or large (12-inch) skillet on medium-high, until very hot. Add oil and mushrooms, and stir-fry for 7 to 8 minutes, leaving undisturbed for 30 seconds to 1 minute at a time, to allow them to caramelize. (Be patient: They will release a lot of liquid, then start to brown.) Add the garlic, ½ teaspoon salt and a few turns of black pepper. Drizzle the mushrooms with 2 tablespoons of honey, then add 3 tablespoons of butter and toss.

  3. Step 3

    Add the udon noodles, Napa cabbage and soy sauce to the pan, then toss for 2 minutes, until the cabbage is wilted and everything is well combined. Remove from the heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon honey and 1 tablespoon butter. Taste and season with more salt and black pepper, if required. To serve, scatter with scallions and sesame seeds.

Tip

  • If using unsalted butter, add an additional ¼ teaspoon of salt in Step 2.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
5,683 user ratings
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Comments

LB

Delicious meal! However, modifications are needed. As with other comments, use only half of the honey. In addition, don’t use all of the suggested soy sauce (a little goes a long way). Just before removing from pan to serving platter or bowls, if you have, add about 1tb spoon of toasted sesame oil. Just before eating, a spritz of lime on the noodles brings the dish alive! Note: chili oil crunch (momofoku) goes well with this dish. Dish now on family meal rotation 😎

Elizabeth

There is no difference between button and cremini mushrooms except color; "cremini" is a marketing term invented to promote the brown button mushrooms that no one thought shoppers would buy since they were only familiar with white ones. The flavor of this dish will not be affected by substitution of white mushrooms for cremini. We just think cremini look more like wild mushrooms.

lola

Why is this recipe hiding under all the others? So yummy and simple. I typically like my udon busy but seasoning the udon with the mushroom "sauce" and soy sauce was fantastic. I skipped the cabbage (because I didn't have any), used only 2 tbsp of butter, and topped with an egg.

Kobe

Delish! I added more garlic and it could've used a splash of citrus at the end (also nice with coriander, I think). We combined it with another recipe here (roasted broccoli with whipped tofu) and was fantastic.

MK

First time using ready to eat udon and it worked great to MW for a minute and add at the end. Used a mix of portobello and shiitake. Safflower oil. Used a Leftover 1/2 regular small cabbage. Added some thinly sliced red peppers, onions and leftover chopped jalapeño peppers with the cabbage. used hot honey for the (honey) sauce component. Squeezed a lemon but forgot to add it. It wasn’t missed. Very good and pretty quick for a weeknight.

SStoyc

Really delicious. I used vegan butter and 2T. Added momofoku chili crunch, a bit of sesame oil, and juice of one lemon. Most of all I liked that it didn't take very long from start to finish. I also used farmer's market oyster mushrooms because they had to be used. I used a bit less honey than suggested, but I could have used 3T. Added chopped Serrano and fresh ginger with the garlic.

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