Annie Chun's Udon Soup Noodle Bowl, 5.3-Ounce Bowls (Pack of 6)

This soup has two specific directions for cooking, with microwave or without microwave. Although the directions for preparing are rather simple, dealing with it was not easy. I cooked it in the microwave, and the bowl, if very hot, is rather cumbersome to hold onto. Draining it is a problem, and you may need protection.

The bowl of soup nutrition facts claim 200 calories, total fat 2.5, and Ogm of saturated or trans fat. Sodium is high, 440 it contains 38gm of carbohydrate. I purchased it for the lack of fat.

You can add chicken, tofu, stir fried vegetables, and fresh chopped vegetables. Keep in mind that the meal comes with a small packet of dried tofu, carrots and spinach topping. The vegetable packet consists of very small pieces, and dry and dehydrated! Not very appetizing.

There is an odd flavor and consistency with the noodles, and the sauce was not all that tasty or flavorful! First impressions are critical, and I'm not sure I would try other Annie Chun's dishes, and I will not crave the Teriyaki Noodle Bowl. ....Rizzo

This product is fantastic! It's defiantly my favorite choice for when I'm on the go or too busy to prepare a proper meal. Great with mushrooms and frozen veggies. The instructions are overly complicated; just put all the ingredients in the bowl, fill it up with water, and heat. Many of Amy Chun's products are packaged in a biodegradable bowl including this soup--an added bonus. I noticed a comment that said this product was not vegan, but that's just untrue. The ingredient in question lactic acid. Lactic acid is usually produced by a fermentation process using carbohydrates such as cornstarch. The lactic acid in this product come from a VEGAN source (as is stated on the box and company's website). Again, this product IS VEGAN...and tasty! Mmm...

Sources:

http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/faqingredients.htm#lac

"If it's lactate or lactic acid, it's not from dairy (exception - sterol lactate due to the stearic acid). "Lac" ingredients are usually produced by a fermentation process using cornstarch or beet sugar. Lactose is always from dairy. Most ingredients made with with calcium are vegan (i.e. calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, calcium sulfate). The exceptions are calcium caseinate and calcium stearate. Drink up the calcium fortified o.j. - it's vegan! "

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactic_acid#Lactic_acid_in_foods

"Although it can be fermented from lactose (milk sugar), most commercially used lactic acid is derived by using bacteria such as Bacillus acidilacti, Lactobacillus delbueckii or Lactobacillus bulgaricus to ferment carbohydrates from nondairy sources such as cornstarch, potatoes and molasses. Thus, although it is commonly known as "milk acid", vegan products can contain lactic acid as an ingredient."

I first picked up Annie Chun's soups at Target on a whim (honestly, the biodegradable bowl was a bit of a curiousity) and now I am a frequent purchaser both in the brick and mortar stores as well as here on Amazon.

The Udon Soup is different from other Annie's products in that the noodles are larger and more tubular - this can make them a bit tricky to eat straight (I chop them up with my spoon to avoid dropping them in my lap). The flavor is very mild, so anybody looking to be wowed with complex combinations of spices should look elsewhere. They are a nice, low key lunch or snack on their own or a hearty dinner if you add other vegetables (snow peas and other mushrooms are very savory). I have them sent (along with the Miso and Teryaki bowls) to directly to work to keep on hand when I don't have the time or inclination to get something else. Two of my co-workers who hail from China have tried these also and give them high marks compared to other brands. I especially like that they are free of nasty preservatives and artificial flavorings.

I thought this soup tasted good. I liked the taste and although it's a little complicated to prepare, overall I felt it was flavorful and filling. I feel that the packaging is a bit deceptive though. You are supposed to soak the noodles for a moment then drain, then add two different packets - one with a concentrated flavor sauce and the other with dried veggies and other flavorings. Add more water, cover and cook in microwave for about 1 min. On the surface this is a one serving, biodegradable bowl... BUT the packaging says there are 2 servings per bowl... so the 730 grams of sodium is really 1460 for one meal. tsk, tsk tsk. I think they should have either made the bowl or the serving smaller OR made the label read it as one serving with the true amount of sodium you'll get when you eat this for a meal. I tried separating it in to halves... it's not that easy, and besides.... where would you store the other half? I guess you could just make the whole thing and throw away the other half, but seems like a waste. I think I won't any more for those reasons, but I might change my mind.IT was quite convenient and tasty dispite it all. decisions, decisions.

I bought this because it specifically says "VEGAN" (not "vegetarian") on the package. However, I just noticed the ingredient list shows "lactic acid" so this is NOT vegan. False advertising.