Skip to main content

Chilled Udon with Sweet-and-Spicy Chicken and Spinach

3.7

(34)

Image may contain Food Noodle Pasta and Spaghetti
Chilled Udon with Sweet-and-Spicy Chicken and SpinachRomulo Yanes

Here, you get an entire meal with a single, 45-minute recipe. Udon, Japanese wheat noodles with a chewy, stretchy texture, are available dried in the Asian food section of most supermarkets (along with mirin and chile paste with garlic) or fresh in the produce section. Sliced pineapple or mango sorbet would be an ideal dessert.

Cooks' note:

Chicken can be grilled on an outdoor grill — lightly oil rack and set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    45 min

  • Yield

    Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2 to 3 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
1 teaspoon Asian chile paste with garlic
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
12 oz dried or 16 oz fresh udon noodles
6 cups baby spinach, coarse stems discarded
Garnish: julienne scallions and toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Press or squeeze ginger using a fine sieve or cheesecloth until enough juice is extracted to measure 1 tablespoon.

    Step 2

    Heat a well-seasoned large ridged grill pan over high heat until hot. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Mix together soy sauce, mirin, ginger juice, chile paste, and sesame oil. Set aside 1/2 cup of soy mixture and toss remainder with chicken.

    Step 3

    Grill chicken until just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes on each side. When cool enough to handle, tear into bite-size pieces.

    Step 4

    If using dried noodles, cook in a large pot of boiling water until al dente, about 12 minutes. Stir in spinach during last minute of cooking. (If using fresh udon, add noodles and spinach simultaneously to boiling water and cook 10 to 20 seconds total.) Drain noodles and spinach and trans-fer to a bowl of ice and cold water. When cold, drain well in a colander.

    Step 5

    Toss noodles and spinach with reserved soy mixture in a large bowl.

    Step 6

    Serve noodles and spinach topped with chicken.

Read More
Like spicy carrot rigatoni and weeknight-fancy ravioli with peas.
Like lemony baked salmon and strawberry shortcake roll.
Keep this easy frittata recipe on hand for quick breakfasts, impressive brunches, and fridge clean-out meals.
Like creamy butternut squash soup and brown butter toffee chocolate chip cookies.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Double-the-mustard chicken, gingery mustard BBQ sauce, cider-dijon pork with roasted apples, and more.
Like sweet-spicy zucchini and joojeh kebab.
A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.