Spicy Soba Noodle Soup

Spicy Soba Soup

 

There are easy ways to vary this soup.  Some recipes call for snow peas, and/or bean sprouts. Sometimes we use lemon grass instead of ginger, or we get wild and use both.

 

I love this soup, but Zok is unimpressed, and I only get it when I make it (!) or as a special request.

 

This soup always takes under .5 of an hour.

It also re-heats nicely.

 Which is why we always make it for 4, even though we are only 2.

 

250 g or 9 oz soba noodles

2-4 shiitake mushrooms (you can use dried, we usually use fresh)

2 litres (8 cups) vegetable stock- this soup is fine with one of those cubes you can get, or if you have soup stock on hand*

2 small carrots, cut into thin matchsticks

(in the photo they are short because we used small carrots from our neighbors generous garden)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 spring onions (scallions) cut in short lengths and sliced again a bit like the carrots

3 cm or 1 1/4 piece ginger cut into matchsticks (its a theme)

80 ml or 1/3 cup soy sauce

60 ml or 1/4 cup mirin or sake (cooking sake is fine)

Small diced dried pepper (seeds or no seeds depending on how hot you want it to be)

 

Your soba noodles are likely dry, so just cook them as directed on the package, and set them aside in a strainer.

If your mushrooms are dried, you need to soak them in some boiling water until soft (about 3/4 a cup for 4)

Drain them so you can slice them put keep the liquid aside.

Combine your vegetable stock in a pan (we use a large sauce pan) with the mushrooms, the extra mushroom liquid, carrots, garlic, spring onion and ginger. (This is when you'd also put in other options like snow peas)

Bring to a soft boil, then reduce to a simmer

Usually about 5 minutes softens your vegetables.

Now add your bean spouts (if you are inclined) more importantly add your mirin and soy sauce, (and pepper if desired)

Get your bowls, put in the wanted amount of noodles in each, and then ladle the soup mixture over the top.

Easy!

 

*I have a vegetarian soup stock recipe up if you want to search for that.