Recipe: Miso Udon Soup

Can't I just be crowned Queen of Soup now?
The good news here is that my daughter really loves this soup. Those fat chewy udon noodles are SUPER kid friendly. I mean, don't most kids like noodles?

This soup was a big hit with not only our family but friends as well. 

And I actually didn't plan on making it. It's kind of a hybrid that turned out AMAZING. I wanted to make another kind of udon soup but then I also wanted miso soup. I got both! (I love getting exactly what I want. I'm a bit spoiled like that.) 

So, about a couple of the ingredients here. 

First of all the udon noodles. I found them in our local Asian food market in the freezer section but then when I was at the regular grocery store I saw them. Doh! I had just never looked hard enough before. They are usually just flour and water. Maybe some salt. They keep them in the regular store by the refrigerated egg roll wrappers and yaki-soba noodles. 

Miso can also be found at the Asian market or at larger "health" food stores (Like Whole Foods or anything like it.) I used half yellow miso and half red miso. The lighter the color of the miso the less intense in flavor it tends to be. If you don't use miso regularly then PLEASE don't buy two tubs of it. Get the yellow miso and it will work wonderfully. I go through a lot of the miso paste so I have a couple of kinds at once usually. 

Miso Udon Soup

6 Tablespoons miso paste (I like a combo of white or yellow miso and red miso. Sometimes I go for all yellow miso)
2 Tablespoons low sodium tamari or soy sauce
6 cups water
2 - 8 oz packages fresh or frozen udon noodles (You can find these in an Asian market, or in large grocery stores by the egg roll wrappers. You can use dried but trust me when I say its not even close to the same.)
2 green onions, sliced thin
2 Tablespoons fresh grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated on a microplane
3 cups of loosely packed greens such as spinach, kale, or mustard greens, sliced thin
Sriracha to taste! (I used about 3 tablespoons)

• In a large pot over medium-high heat whisk together the miso paste, tamari/soy and the water. 
• Add in the garlic and ginger. 
• Bring up to a bare simmer. (I define this as a couple of bubbles breaking on the surface but not much more.) You don't want it to boil.
• Add in the noodles and cook until "al dente" Frozen noodles took about 5 minutes at the bare simmer.
• Right  before serving stir in the green onions, greens and sriracha.  
• Make sure that everyone slurps loudly while eating this soup. It's the only way to do it! 

-Lovely optional additions: cooked sliced mushrooms, cooked mung bean sprouts, thinly sliced carrots, little squares of tofu, chickpeas, a few cilantro leaves, 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, thinly sliced zucchini