Pan Asian Udon Soup
Why I Love This Recipe
I’ve been inspired by the Korean udon and the Vietnamese noodle soups for this one. To make it a vegetarian soup, just omit the protein and use a vegetable broth.
Ingredients You'll Need
Udon noodles, dried or frozen
Low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
Half a lime
2 handfuls of bok choy
½ cup of matchstick carrots
½ cup bite-sized broccoli
1 bunch scallions or green onions diced into small pieces – separate white parts from green,
½ cup mushrooms diced into small pieces
One bunch fresh cilantro (snip finely with scissors to get maximum flavor)
Feel free to add or substitute greens, like spinach, if you like
Protein optional:
1 grilled chicken breast torn into bite-size pieces
or
1 cup grilled shrimp (squeeze lime on raw shrimp, add salt and pepper, and drizzle a spoon of olive oil and broil it for 5 minutes.)
Seasoning:
Dashi: It’s a Japanese stock base made of dried kelp and fish. You can get dashi powder in any store that stocks Asian ingredients. You can also get a vegetarian version. Ask for the non-MSG variety.
Black pepper
Directions
Boil the udon noodles according to packet instructions until cooked, drain water.
Divide them amongst 4 bowls. Top with 2-3 bok choy leaves, green part of scallions, mushrooms, carrots, protein and half of the cilantro.
Separately, boil 3 cups of low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth seasoned with two teaspoons of dashi powder, white part of the scallions, half of the cilantro. Add salt, if broth needs it.
As soon as the broth boils, drop the broccoli in, simmer for 30 seconds and cover.
Divide up broccoli evenly among bowls, and ladle broth evenly on all and mix.
Add a squeeze of lime in all the bowls and top with a dash of freshly ground pepper for adults.
Soup is ready. This needs a soup spoon and a fork/chopsticks.
