If you love noodles, chances are you have seen udon noodles. They are perfect noodles in many Japanese soups and recipes. If you are gluten free like me, you probably are wondering are udon noodles gluten free. Let’s find out!
What Are Udon Noodles?
Udon noodles are long, thick noodles. Many people love using udon because there is more noodle surface for sauces to cling to, making them full of flavor!
Udon noodles have gained popularity as more people are exploring Japanese cuisine recipes to cook. These noodles can be round or flat in shape, and they are considered comfort food in Japan.
Most commonly, you will see udon noodles served in Asian restaurants in hot recipes like a simple dashi soup and udon noodle soup, but there are quite a few making cold dishes, too.
You can read all of the articles I wrote to know which Asian ingredients are gluten-free!
Answer: Is There Gluten In Udon?
Is there gluten in udon noodles? Unfortunately, traditional udon noodles are not gluten free. The primary ingredient is whole wheat flour, which is not safe for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
Udon is one thing where the main ingredient, wheat, is listed on the ingredients list on nutrition labels, so it is very easy to identify that this is not a gluten free product.
As you know, wheat of any kind is definitely not safe. Luckily for us, there are three companies making gluten free udon! They may not be the perfect udon texture and taste, but they mimic the likeness of thick wheat flour noodles in recipes.
If you plan to use imitation crab in your udon, be sure to read Is Imitation Crab Gluten Free?
What Brands Make Gluten Free Udon?
- Lotus Foods Brown Rice Udon – They also make brown rice ramen that is delicious in this Gluten Free Ramen Soup recipe.
- NM Egg White Udon Noodles – These are also keto and great for those eating special diets for weight loss.
- Yuho Organic Shirataki Noodles – These are another type of noodle that is keto.
You can also make Homemade Gluten Free Udon Noodles!
Substitutions For Udon:
There are several fun substitutions you can use for gluten free udon noodles. You can find these noodles at most Asian grocery stores. Here are some types of noodles to try:
- Buckwheat and buckwheat soba noodles.
- Rice noodles, including ramen noodles made with rice and pad Thai rice noodles.
- Gluten-free noodles are made from mung bean starch and sweet potato starch noodles. These noodles are made with starch, like the starch of a yam-like tuber in sweet potato noodles. We love these starch noodles because they mimic the chewy texture of udon.
