Vegetarian Udon Soup

Introduction to Udon Noodles with Mushroom Broth

As many of you know, a lot of the recipes I have developed are based on some of my favorite meals from restaurants. When I was in law school, I tried udon for the first time from a local restaurant and I became obsessed (noodles and soup are my weakness). I would go to this udon place that was a solid 20 minute walk from campus at least once a week. Rain or shine, you’d find me headed down to grab my favorite vegan udon and mushroom tempura.

The broth at this restaurant was absolutely divine. And I’ve tried to recreate that here. Admittedly, this isn’t a traditional Japanese udon broth as it doesn’t contain dashi. However, I just tried to recreate something that embodied similar flavors with the ingredients I had on hand. This mushroom broth is simple yet has a rich umami taste that is sure to satisfy.

Breakdown of the Ingredients:

• Shallots: Shallots add the perfect mild flavor to the base of this broth. The star of the show are really the shiitake mushrooms. So using shallots instead of red or yellow onions really helps the mushroom flavor stand out.
• Ginger, Garlic, and Carrots: A good soup broth is almost always going to contain ginger, garlic, and carrots. At least, mine always do. I don’t think any broth is complete without these ingredients. They add a great depth of flavor.
• Oil: Make sure to always use a neutral oil like canola for soup broths. We always want the veggie flavors to stand out and using an oil with an overpowering flavor will alter the taste of the broth.
• Soy Sauce + Salt: Never use too much soy sauce when flavoring a dish! I’ve made that mistake many times. Soy should be a flavor enhancer, not a main ingredient. So if you find that the broth isn’t salty enough, reach for the salt before you reach for the soy.
• Brown Sugar: I always add brown sugar to broths. It’s my secret ingredient to balance out all of the flavors. Especially for this udon broth! The udon restaurant I used to go in law school had a vegan broth that was on the sweeter side and it was absolutely delicious. So I added a generous helping here.
• Shiitake Mushrooms: While typically dried shiitake mushrooms are typically used for such broths, I used fresh here. Admittedly, I had some fresh shiitake mushrooms sitting in my fridge for a while and I wanted to figure out the best way to utilize them! Which is why I thought to experiment with making this broth.
• Veggie Broth + Water: Since there are a lot of aromatics and mushrooms in this dish, I like to dilute my store-bought veggie broth with some water. I like to use the kroger veggie broth because it is fairly light to begin with.
• Udon Noodles: Instead of making udon noodles from scratch (which is super time-consuming) I just buy frozen udon from the store. It cooks in under 2 minutes!
• Scallions: I use the green parts of the scallion as a crunchy topping for my udon, and I add the white ends of the scallions to the broth to flavor it.

Process + Keys to Success:

• Sauté shallots in onion and cook until translucent.
• Add minced garlic and ginger and cook another minute or so.
• Add brown sugar, soy sauce, carrots, mushrooms, veggie broth and water.
• You can also add in the white ends of your scallions that would normally be thrown away to flavor your broth!
• Simmer broth for 25-30 minutes. Patience is key!
• Boil frozen udon for 1-2 minutes.
• Drain your broth and add your udon.

Toppings:

• Scallions: I can’t have udon with the satisfying crunch of scallions; they’re a must.
• Freshly Minced Ginger: Ginger adds a delicious warmth to the broth. I always add extra on top as well to enhance the flavor.
• Bok Choy: Bok choy is so refreshing and crunch in this dish as well. I highly recommend trying it.
• Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms: I always set aside some mushrooms to add as a topping as well. I typically boil them a bit when I cook my udon noodles to soften them up.
• Seaweed: I buy some nori from my local H-Mar, cut it into small pieces, and add it to my udon. It softens immediately and tastes wonderful.
• Baked Tofu: I press my extra firm tofu, chop it into cubes, and then bake it at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

More Recipes You’ll Love

• Hot and Sour Miso Soup
• Oyster Mushroom Fried Chicken
• Tofu Summer Rolls