The Japanese love udon, a soft, thick noodle created in Japan based on traditional Chinese noodles. Udon can be eaten both cold and hot, as in this easy-to-make beef udon soup recipe.
Ingredients
6 cups chicken stock (we used 2 Knorr gel packs with 6 cups water)
2 ½ tablespoons Tamari soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin (optional) *
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
1 package (14-ounce) Udon noodles *
1 tablespoon butter
1 4-ounce sirloin steak, thinly sliced
1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms (brown button)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Preparation
In a medium stockpot, combine stock, soy sauce, mirin, and ginger. Bring to boil then reduce to simmer.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat; add beef strips and cook for 2 minutes per side. Reduce heat to medium, add mushrooms and ¼ cup of your stock broth and cook for 3 minutes. Transfer into the stockpot of broth. Add noodles and cook 1-1 1/2 minutes, until noodles are just heated. Do not overcook, they can quickly become mushy.
To serve, top with green onions. Serves 4.
* Mirin is sweet rice cooking wine and can be found in the Asian section of the supermarket. It can be quite pricey, adds a nice touch, but not necessary.
* Udon is a type of thick wheat flour noodle popular in Japanese cuisine. We like to keep them stocked in the freezer.
