Despite the summer-like weather, I made some spicy udon noodle soup this afternoon. A few days ago I saw this recipe on Foodgawker, and knew right away that I wanted to give it a try. It is definitely a keeper, with endless variations.
First, in a large sauce pan I sauteed garlic, ginger, and an onion in vegetable and sesame oils.
After a few minutes, I added in diced bell pepper and mushrooms. This recipe is very versatile, so you could add really anything that you want here. I bet bamboo shoots, green onion, and bok choy would all be awesome additions or substitutions.
After a few more minutes, I added in vegetable broth (canned, this time) soy sauce, and lime juice. Bring on the sodium!
Next I added some miso and chili garlic sauce. Sriracha would work well too, but all of my sriracha is at work. I let that boil for a few minutes and then dropped in an egg and scrambled it up in the broth with a fork. If you've never done this before, it is a great way to add a little protein to soup, and is great with ramen. Finally I added in the noodles. Udon noodles are an Asian variety of thick wheat noodles. I was able to find some at my local Giant. They either don't take long to cook, or come precooked. I'm not sure. I let the soup boil for just a few minutes, and then ladled myself a bowl. Yum.