
A comforting Miso Udon Noodle Soup with a rich broth topped with Teriyaki Mushrooms. The broth is packed with umami and gets a nice richness from the mix of soy milk, miso, mushroom broth, and some vegan butter. Serve this with other toppings of choice. I finished my bowl with Japanese chili oil or layu for an extra kick of heat. This recipe can be easily cooked in one pot by preparing the noodles and toppings before cooking down the broth.
If using dried shiitake mushrooms, soak the mushrooms overnight in room temperature water or in boiling hot water until completely rehydrated. Don’t discard the liquid since you can mix this in for the broth. Thinly slice the rehydrated shiitake mushrooms.
For the king oyster mushrooms, I thinly sliced these lengthwise but you can cut these however way you want.
Cook/prepare your udon noodles according to package instructions. For my frozen udon, I heated a medium sized pot with water and left it to boil over medium heat. Once boiling, I added the udon and allowed it to cook for a few minutes until chewy to my liking.
Remove the noodles from the water. You can opt to run this through some water to wash off any excess starch.
Divide between 2 bowls. I cooked the noodles before cooking the broth so I could use only 1 pot for this recipe.
You can also microwave frozen udon. If doing so, I usually just place mine in a microwave safe bowl and cover it with a microwave safe lid and microwave until chewy to my liking.
Heat a medium skillet or non stick pan over medium. Once hot, add some oil. If using just one pot, you can use the same pot to cook down the mushrooms.
Note: If you don't enjoy mushrooms, you can also use extra firm tofu and cook it the same way. You may need to season it more and adjust to your taste.
Add the mushrooms (king oyster + rehydrated mushrooms, if using) and spread on the pan to allow these to cook browned. Flip over to cook the remaining side.
Add the mirin, sake, soy sauces, and sugar. Mix well to coat the mushrooms. Cook for 2-3 more minutes until the sugars start to beautifully glaze the mushrooms. Turn off the heat and se the mushrooms aside.
Heat a medium sized pot over medium high heat.
Once hot, add in the sesame oil or butter. Add in the garlic. Sauté over medium heat until aromatic.
Add in the sesame paste or nut butter. While stirring, add in the broth and soy/oat milk. Keep stirring over medium heat until the paste has diluted. Add in the miso paste, sake, and sauce sauce. Mix.
Cover the pot and leave the soup to boil over medium high heat, around 10-12 minutes. Once it boils, lower the heat and leave it to a simmer.
Taste the soup and season with salt, to taste, if needed.
Pour the hot soup into your bowls of noodles.
Add the teriyaki mushrooms, chopped spring onions/scallions, chili oil, and any other toppings of choice. Enjoy your udon while it’s hot.