Udon Noodle Soup

I love soup and making udon noodle soup at home is a great way to highlight a lot of beautiful veggies in one dish.

I threw this one together the other night with what I had on hand and when I served it for dinner, I added a soft boiled egg, cut in half, to each bowl.

How to make a soft boiled egg? In a small pan, place 2 to 4 eggs and cover with about a 1/2 inch with water. Bring to a boil and, reducing heat just to a high simmer/low boil, cook them for 3 minutes and remove from heat. Run under cool water until they can be handled, then gently peel and cut in half. Place warm eggs on top of soup and serve.

I did not make extra eggs for leftovers, which is why there’s no egg in my photos.

Of course, you have to make this with vegetables you like and if you wish to add cooked beef, chicken, pork or shrimp, by all means, feel free. I added pork this time simply because it was a great way to use the leftover shredded pork that I had on hand. The fun part about making homemade udon noodle soup is that the possibilities are endless.

The key to making this soup is this: think about how long you want each veggie you add to actually cook and then add them accordingly. You want them to keep their color and flavor and have a little bit of bite to them still.

Here’s an approximation of my recipe pictured:

Udon Noodle Soup with Pork and Veggies Recipe

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup sliced white part of scallions
• 2-3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 healthy tablespoon minced ginger
• 3 cups cooked pork that’s been shredded into large chunks
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium, good quality soy sauce
• 1 huge portabello mushroom, cut in half and sliced (what I had on hand, thanks to my hubby)
• 2 cups bok choy, white and green parts, thinly sliced
• 2 medium carrots peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 1 1/2 cup sliced asparagus spears
• 1 medium jalapeno, thinly sliced. Optional, of course. And I used jalapeno because I had fresh ones on hand but if not, I’d have used my dried Thai chilies from my garden. If you want heat, add it however you’d like – even hot sauce would work if splashed on top after serving)
• 2 tablespoons sliced scallion greens
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 12.8 oz. package of Udon noodles (that’s the size my Roland Organic variety comes in, anyway), cooked according to package directions. Be sure to rinse and drain them well after cooking. You’ll heat them up again when the hot soup is ladled over them.

In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat.

Add whites of scallions, garlic, and ginger and saute’ for about 3 minutes.

Add pork and stir, cooking 1 minute more.

Add broth and soy sauce, bring it all to a boil, reduce heat and then let simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Add mushrooms and simmer for 5 minutes more. This will all get you a nicely flavored broth before adding the rest of your veggies.

Add bok choy, carrots, asparagus and jalapeno and let simmer about 5-10 minutes more, just until veggies are cooked but still have a bit of a bite to them.

(this is a good time to start those soft boiled eggs if you want to add them)

Place a helping of cooked and rinsed udon noodles into a bowl and ladle hot broth over. If adding egg, cut a soft boiled egg in half and place on top of the soup. Sprinkle with a bit of sliced scallion greens and cilantro and serve. (I like mine a little more a noodle dish than a soup dish, but that’s just personal preference. Add as much or as little of the broth that you like)

Need some other great ingredient ideas for homemade udon noodle soup?

• Shrimp
• Tofu
• Edamame beans
• Snow peas
• Broccoli or Broccolini
• Pea shoots
• Brussels sprouts
• Sugar snap peas
• Green beans
• Peas
• Corn
• Bamboo shoots
• Celery
• Spinach

Use your imagination and play around a bit –  this is a fun, healthy dish that’s delicious and easy to make. Enjoy!