Easy Udon Shiitake Mushroom Soup

Do not let the unfamiliar terms, udon and even shiitake mushrooms, intimidate you. This is an easy quick soup to prepare but utterly delicious. I fell in love with udon noodles when my sisters and I visited my niece Gia in Canada.  She brought us to August Eight Restaurant for an all- you- can- eat sushi dinner.  You can order whatever you want for a flat fee as long as you can finish them if not you pay for the left overs.  The technique is to order as a group the dishes members agreed on not at one time but several times during dinner and reorder only when they are gone or close to be totally consumed. 

My sister ordered Udon soup and swooned about it.  I decided to try it myself and I was hooked. Udon noodles come over the counter even gluten free or frozen and the latter was what I opted for since it had the thickness of the noodles that I ate at August Eight in Canada. I prepared the frozen noodle right in the package in the microwave after puncturing some holes on the wrapper.  I then boiled the shitake mushrooms with the broth and added the vegetables during the last portion of the cooking process.  I did not add any soy sauce or any salt containing condiments since the broth was salty enough for me. For the finishing touch I added a few drops or one swirl, of sesame oil right on the bowl of finished soup before eating.  Heaven!

Easy Udon Shitake Mushroom Soup 

(two servings)

• 1 package of frozen udon noodles, cooked according to package instructions
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 6 pieces dried black shiitake mushrooms
• 1 tbsp dry onion flakes
• 1 tbsp dry garlic flakes
• 1/4 tsp dry ginger
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1/4 cup sliced red radish
• 1 stalk green onions, sliced
• sesame oil

Place the vegetable broth, mushrooms, onion flakes, garlic flakes, ginger and red pepper flakes in a pot. Allow the mixture to boil for about 10 minutes until the mushrooms have softened.  Continue to boil and add the carrots and red radish and boil them till they are cooked but still crispy.  Then add the spinach at the last minute till it is just barely wilted.   

Place the udon noodles into two soup bowls.  Ladle the soup into the bowls.  Garnish with the green onions. Add a swirl of sesame oil over the top of the soup before slurping or eating it.  Enjoy.

Tofu Vegetable Soba Noodle Soup

This is a hearty simple plant based soup laden with micro nutrient rich vegetables and protein.  It has the additional plus of having the Japanese soba noodles which are made of nutritious and fiber rich buckwheat, wheat and yam flour.  It has a neutral taste and soft, a tad slippery texture.  You will have fun slurping it.

The vegetable broth for me has enough salt and flavor in it I just added a few slices of ginger for added zing to it but it could be optional.  I would let the amount of soy sauce be left to the discretion of the one eating this soup.  The sesame oil for me gives that added sizzle so to speak to the soup. I would use only one round of it though.  Enjoy!

Tofu Vegetable Soba Noodle Soup

• 1-3.5 oz bundle soba noodles (The Hana brand I used came in 3.5 oz bundles)    
• 6 cups water (or as suggested by the Soba noodle package)
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 4 oz firm tofu, cubed
• 1 carrot, sliced                                                          
• 6 napa cabbage leaves, sliced
• 1/2 inch ginger, peeled and sliced (optional) 
• 2 small zucchini, sliced
• soy sauce
• sesame oil

Soba Noodles

Bring the water to boil.  Place the soba noodles in the boiling water and cook for 6 minutes with occasional stirring.  Drain using a strainer and rinse with cold water.  Set aside.

Tofu Vegetable Soup

Place the vegetable broth, carrots, napa cabbage and ginger in a pot and allow the mixture to boil.  When the carrots are cooked but still firm, add the zucchini.  Allow the mixture to simmer till the zucchini is done.

Assembly

Divide the soba noodles into two soup bowls and ladle the soup on top of the noodles.  Season with soy sauce according to taste and douse with sesame oil before eating.