An easy Udon Noodle Soup that’s light, refreshing and packed with flavour. It makes a perfect low maintenance mid-week meal & once you’ve made that flavoursome broth you can really get creative with the toppings!
PREP TIME: 20 minutesminutes
COOK TIME: 30 minutesminutes
TOTAL TIME: 50 minutesminutes
Servings: 5servings
Ingredients
4teaspoonstoasted sesame oil, OPTIONAL
1mediumonion, chopped
1thumb sized piecefresh ginger, chopped
4clovesgarlic, chopped
¼teaspoonground cinnamon, or 1 cinnamon stick (added whole)
2stickslemon grass
2 - 4star anise, 2 gives a very subtle flavour, 4 will make it more pronounced
800gramsudon noodles, or any other kind of noodle (rice noodles are great if you need to keep the recipe gluten-free)
Toppings (quantities are just a guide. Use as much or as little of each as you like and feel free to add any extras. See my list of topping ideas in my post above.
around 300grams / 4 cups sliced mushrooms, sliced
2mediumcarrots, julienned (cut into thin matchsticks)
2 jalapenos sliced into thin rounds
1bunch green onions, chopped into rounds
1 sprigfresh mint for each bowl, cilantro works well too
Warm a large pan over a medium heat and add 2 teaspoons sesame oil (to make oil-free sauté in a few tablespoons of water instead, adding more throughout as needed to stop sticking).
Sauté the onions and ginger together until the onion is beginning to caramelize, then add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for another few minutes.
Slit the lemon grass lengthways with a sharp knife then bash it with a rolling pin (it helps the flavour come out!). Add it to the pan with the the star anise and cinnamon then pour over the broth and tamari/soy sauce.
Simmer for around 30 minutes then sieve it to remove all of the add-ins and return the liquid to the pan. Keep it on a low heat to keep warm.
While the broth is simmering prepare your toppings. Wash and chop all of the raw veggies and sauté the mushrooms in the remaining 2 teaspoons of sesame oil until golden brown. Use water to sauté them to make oil-free. Once golden, remove from the heat and set aside.
Bring a large pan of water to a rolling boil and cook the noodles as per the directions on the packet. When cooked, drain and rinse in cold water to stop them cooking any more.
Assemble your bowls by putting noodles in the bottom, ladling over the hot broth, then covering with toppings of choice. Finish with an optional sprinkling of sesame seeds.
NOTES
The broth will keep for up to one week in the fridge and freezes well. Only cook as many noodles as you will eat as they do not keep well in the broth. They get too soft and a bit slimy. They are much better when cooked fresh each time and it only takes a few minutes anyway so it's no hardship. NUTRITIONAL INFO IS BASED ON THE ENTIRE RECIPE SERVING 5 PEOPLE AND DOES NOT INCLUDE THE SESAME SEEDS.