Annie Chun’s Udon Soup

June 7, 2007 | Reviewer: Adina

Annie Chun’s Udon Soup
Price: $2.00
Serving: 1 Bowl, 4.3 oz.
Calories: 220
Fat: 2%, 1.5g
Cholesterol: 0%, 0mg
Sodium: 38%, 920mg
Protein: 6g
Carbs: 15%, 45g
Fiber: 5%, 1g
Weight Watchers Points: 4 Points

Annie Chun says: [My] new FreshPak™ Noodles are full of flavor and offer a wonderfully satisfying texture, much more pleasing than everyday dry noodles. They’re the perfect match for the classic, light Japanese broth of tofu, vegetables and shiitake mushrooms. A traditional Japanese Udon soup, all vegetarian, all delicious!

Adina says: This was truly delicious. I eat a lot of authentic udon noodles from our local Asian market. Plus, I worked at a Japanese restaurant for 3 years. Plus, I’m Asian. All these things can lead you to only one conclusion: this girl knows her udon noodles. And this meal, in all its non-refrigerated fresh packed glory, is good udon noodle soup.

The noodles are firm and chewy, just like in the restaurants. The soup base was a little strong but I think it is because I didn’t put enough water in the bowl. And even as a strong soup base, it packed a lot of mushroom and soy sauce flavor without being predictable. The bok choy and green onions were surprisingly fresh tasting, a miracle in and of itself, considering it came in the form of a giant manufactured seasoned square. An added bonus is that the bowl is biodegradable and the meal is vegetarian. The whole bowl is ~~considered two servings~~ now considered one serving, so when you look at the breakdown, the only downside is the sodium (38%), which is still way less than a regular package of ramen noodles (over 60%). The carbs are at 15%, which I’m willing to accept since I was eating a giant bowl of noodles.

I have only one complaint. This meal is semi-difficult to assemble. It requires you to put hot water in the bowl to loosen the noodles, drain the water, add the soup base and toppings, and then add 1 to 1.5 cups of water and microwave. These steps require you to have access to hot water and possibly even a measuring cup. I don’t want you to think I’m a wimping out on the “Heat” part of this blog, I’m just saying. “Draining” and “measuring” equals cooking in my book.

Otherwise, Annie Chun’s Udon Soup is a delicious, inexpensive, and healthy meal.

comments

13 Responses to “Annie Chun’s Udon Soup”

Faye on June 7th, 2007

Although I enjoyed this product after it was nice and hot, the smell of the noodles and the soup base prior to cooking almost caused me to throw up because it was so vile.

Sorry, but if a food causes me to induce the gag-reflex I really can’t enjoy it fully.
julie on June 7th, 2007

I love the Annie Chun soups! I add fresh veggies and tofu to make them a little heartier, and I usually don’t bother with the loosening of the noodles step. I just stir it a few more times during the heating process.

@Faye, every time I make a bowl of this for myself, my bf complains about the smell! I didn’t notice that it was stinky, but maybe I’m just used to it now?
MaryAnne on June 7th, 2007

I tried this and the smell wasâ€¦ slightly offensive. I canâ€™t place exactly what it was or what was causing it. Iâ€™m surprised at the rave review. I thought it was just ok. The noodles were a little too chewy for me and unlike the udon noodles Iâ€™ve had at various restaurants. And, I didnâ€™t feel like I had eaten two servings of noodles. I just felt like I needed a big glass of water to wash down the salty, chewy feeling my mouth had acquired.
KGTG on June 13th, 2007

I love this meal, although I always add broccoli. I never do the warm liquid to noodles thing (what is that, anyway?) and I never stir while cooking, and they seem to turn out fine…
Kat on July 20th, 2007

I saw this yesterday at Whole Foods. After reading the review, I was tempted to try them, but the ’smell’ comments have me a bit scared now. I don’t like smelly food…
A Harste on July 25th, 2007

Yes, when you open the noodles there is a horrible smell that comes off of them. I will never buy them again.
eldensteele3@yahoo.com on September 21st, 2007

I tried Annie’s Miso soup and throughly enjoyed. ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL review Ms. Adina. If you do not already, you should writes reviews for a living!
Krysia on September 23rd, 2007

This is my favorite meal-on-the-go. I don’t have a problem with the smell; I guess it’s something you either love or hate. But I think it smells great and tastes even better. It’s light, refreshing, and although it fills you up, you never feel as though you shouldn’t have eaten the entire thing. It’s inexpensive and easy to prepare, as well. Like others, I don’t bother with the first step of loosening the noodles; I’ve never had a problem with them sticking together.
Karen on November 26th, 2007

I love the udon soup, too, but can’t remember where I bought it, since it was in my cupboard for awhile. Can anyone tell me what stores carry them? It’s rare to find an asian soup that isn’t loaded with fat, yet still full of flavor and filling!
Abi Jones on November 26th, 2007

Karen - I usually see this stuff at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.
Bob Warren on December 28th, 2007

Honestly, I don’t understand the smell comments. Of course I eat so much Asian food I like just about everything. I guess it’s a matter of taste. My guess would be the mushrooms are bothering some people since the broth is using the powerful taste of shitake mushrooms. Personally I love this product and my wife (whom is not an Asian food lover) loved as well.
Anthony on February 6th, 2008

GARBAGE!!! Stop giving dishonest companies like Annie Chun’s money.
She touts that this is a healthy version…She is being deceiving. Our lovely FDA allows food manufactures to state that there is no MSG contained in their foods, if they label the ingredient Yeast Extract. Do a quick search on MSG and you health…..
Colleen on August 13th, 2008

This might be handy to have around in case of emergency, and ONLY in case of emergency. The horrible smell is like a mix of chemical and some kind of food that shouldn’t be consumed by humans. I was so hungry I took a few bites, but found that it was best to hold my breath if my face went anywhere near the bowl.