Dazzling Udon Noodle Soup with Simple Ginger-Miso Broth ...

 What not to love when just stayed at home and it was raining all day.

L.A. got unexpected rain yesterday.   All of the plants and lawns were soaking wet; streets and roads were all cleaned up.   Though the air got a little cooler but it absolutely smelled fresher than it usually was.   I just love the rain!  And when it rains, nothing could be more perfect than a big bowl of hot noodle soup to boost up the soul.    Yeah? 

 I’ve made noodle soup at home countless times because the hubby and I loved having noodle soup, especially when the weather got a little chilly.   This time I was trying to have some fun with the Udon noodles by adding the color to them using beetroot to turn the white noodles to something that look more...hmm,,,fun?   The noodles turned into deep orange carrot-like which I didn’t expect it.   I thought the noodles were going to be red since the beet was so bloody red in color!   Either ways, the orange Udon noodles were just so pretty to eat!

 

However, you don’t need to go through this to dye your noodles. Udon are just as good as the way they are.  But dyed Udon with beet was sure looking very interesting.  Don’t you think?

The ginger and miso broth for this bowl of noodle soup was very easy to make. Add fresh ginger + white miso paste + chicken stock + light soy sauce into a big pot and heat it up, done! Though dashi or bonito flakes are usually used for the base, but a tablespoon of light soy sauce would work as well. Add vegetables and protein of your choice. Whatever you like, really!

What you need:  for 3-4 servings-depends on how hungry you are!

For Noodles:

2 (3.5oz.) packages Udon noodles

1/2 of medium raw beet, chopped
2 cups water

For Soup:

6 cups chicken broth

1 tbsp. light soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp. white miso paste
2 tbsp. fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 cup daikon, thinly cut into bite size
1 cup carrots, thinly sliced
1 package shimeji mushroom, cut off the root end
2 handful baby spinach
6 oz. Red Kamaboko or Japanese steamed fish cake, sliced
1/4 cup green scallion, thinly sliced
Ground white pepper

How to:

- Add chopped beet to a pot of 2 cups of water and bring to a boil over medium-high for 4-5 minutes and add Udon noodles into the boiling beet water and cook the noodles for another 2 minutes. Take off the heat and leave the Udon noodles in in the pot to soak up the color of beet for about 10 minutes, then drain out the beet water and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat up the chicken broth over medium heat. Add soy sauce, ginger, daikon, and carrot to the pot and let it cook for 10-15 minutes. Then add steamed fish cake and mushroom and let it cook another 3 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add the miso paste by put the paste into a small bowl and use the broth from the pot to break the paste down and add back to the pot, stir well. Add baby spinach and ground white pepper.
- The noodle can be added into the pot or arrange separately between bowls and add prepared soup over. Spring green scallion over each bowl before serving.

 

 

Enjoy!

 

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