Creamy Umami Noodle Soup with Crispy Mushrooms
From: Ian Seddon's Cookbook
🥘 Ingredients
- mixed mushrooms 16-20 oz
- neutral-flavored oil 2 tbsp
- Kosher
- fresh udon noodles 16 oz
- neutral-flavored oil 1 tbsp
- garlic cloves 6
- piece fresh ginger 1 ½ inch
- scallions 1 bunch
- Thai chile peppers 2-4
- mushroom broth 1-2 cup
- unsweetened soy milk or oat milk 2 cup
- roasted white sesame seeds ¼ cup
- tamari or soy sauce 8 tsp
- white miso 2 tbsp
- rice vinegar 1 tbsp
- white pepper ¼ tsp
- Toasted sesame oil
- Topping options: scallion greens
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1For the mushrooms: mixed mushrooms , neutral-flavored oil , Kosher salt. For the noodles and broth: fresh udon noodles , neutral-flavored oil , garlic cloves , piece fresh ginger , scallions , Thai chile peppers , mushroom broth , unsweetened soy milk or oat milk , roasted white sesame seeds , tamari or soy sauce , white miso , rice vinegar , white pepper . For the finishing: Toasted sesame oil , Topping options: scallion greens .
Mushroom Instructions
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1Arrange a rack in the top third of the oven and another on the bottom rack. Preheat to 425ºF / 220ºC. Brush two sheet pans with oil to prevent sticking.
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2Wipe off any visible dirt patches with a dry, thin dish towel or paper towel.
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3Tear/slice the mushrooms. For soft mushrooms, like oyster or maitake, slice off any tough white stems. Then use your hands to tear them into strips, as evenly as possible. The thinner the mushrooms, the crispier they’ll get, but you have to pay closer attention to prevent burning. For sturdier mushrooms like shiitake and cremini (AKA baby bella), slice them quite thinly. For skinny mushrooms like beech mushrooms, leave them whole (just trim the bottom ends).
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4Divide mushrooms across the pans and drizzle with the 2 tbsp oil. Toss well to coat (if they feel very dry, add a bit more oil). Season with salt (about 3/4 tsp for all the mushrooms) and toss again. Spread out on the pans. It’s okay if some touch, but they shouldn't overlap on top of one another. Roast for 15 minutes . Remove from the oven and stir with a spatula. Consolidate all the mushrooms onto just one pan and spread out. Roast for 10 more minutes (either top or bottom rack), or until mushrooms are browned and crispy.
Noodles & Broth Instructions
If you didn't buy mushrooms and bought tofu instead, start the recipe by making homemade Baked Tofu to add on top (or top with store-bought cubed baked tofu). Or, add sliced silken tofu during the last few minutes of cooking the broth in step 8, or stir in some shelled edamame. If you didn't buy fresh udon, use these noodle quantities for reference: Frozen udon noodles: 24 oz. Thinner fresh noodle varieties, such as ramen: 10-12 oz. Dried noodles: 8 oz. If GF, use 8 oz gluten-free dried udon or thick rice noodles. You can sub with 1/2 serrano peppers or jalapeño peppers. Omit for no heat. If using standard vegetable broth, taste the broth and add more miso or soy sauce as needed to give it an extra boost of savory and umami flavors. If using mushroom bouillon or “vegan chicken” bouillon, you may not need all of the soy sauce, as these can be quite salty. If you bought ingredients to make vegan dashi, see the last FAQ here in the blog post. If your sesame seeds are raw, toast them for the best flavor: Heat a dry frying pan over medium heat. After a minute or two, add the sesame seeds and toast for 2 to 4 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until golden brown. Or, add to a rimmed sheet pan and toast in a 350ºF / 175ºC oven for 6 to 8 minutes. If you don’t have a high-powered blender, you may want to add the sesame seeds to a mortar and pestle or electric spice grinder and grind until mostly crushed. Otherwise, they might not get fully blended into the broth. If using black pepper, start with just 1/8 tsp. Storage: After the broth has cooled, store the leftover broth in an airtight container in the fridge. Store the mushrooms in a separate container in the fridge. Storage: To reheat, pour the broth into a pot and heat over medium-low, whisking from time to time. If some of the broth has solidified pieces (from soy milk or sesame seeds), don’t worry, as reheating will bring it back to a liquid state. If desired, add more mushroom/vegetable broth to thin. Storage: To reheat the mushrooms, heat a frying pan over medium to medium-high heat with just a tiny bit of oil. Once hot, add the mushrooms, and toss occasionally. Cook until heated through and they’ve crisped back up. Storage: Cook the noodles fresh and assemble as listed in the last step right before serving.
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1Noodles: While the mushrooms roast, bring a medium or large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to the package, then drain. Drizzle noodles with a little toasted sesame oil and set aside. Return the saucepan to the stove for step 8. TIP: If saving leftovers, only cook as many noodles as you'll eat.
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2Broth: Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat with the 1 tbsp oil. Once hot, add the garlic, ginger, scallion whites and light greens, and chile peppers. Cook, stirring frequently, until the aromatics have a little color and are very fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. If there are lots of browned bits, add a splash of water and deglaze. Take off the heat and transfer to a stand blender.
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3To the blender, add 1 cup mushroom (or vegetable) broth, soy milk, sesame seeds, 2 tbsp soy sauce, miso, rice vinegar, and white pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste, adding the additional 2 tsp of soy sauce as needed. You want the broth to be quite salty and savory.
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4Pour the broth into the saucepan. Gradually bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Warm until hot, 4 to 6 minutes, whisking frequently (it will bubble up if you ignore it). NOTE: If the broth gets very thick, add more of the mushroom broth or vegetable broth. When using soy milk, I typically add 1/2 cup additional mushroom broth.
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5Divide noodles among bowls. Whisk the hot broth, then pour it on top of the noodles. Top with crispy mushrooms. Garnish with scallion greens and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil. If desired, finish with a spoon of Chinese chili crisp or sliced chile peppers.