Bouncy Noodles, Bright Greens, Quick Broth: A Perfect Bowl

At the top of my list of satisfying meals that nurture body and soul is a big, steaming bowl of noodles in broth.

My introduction to the Japanese version came on my first trip to Japan, 30 years ago, to visit American friends living in the town of Matsuyama in Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. Matsuyama (which means Pine Mountain) is known for its historic traditional bathhouse, Dogo Onsen. On a cold, drizzly day, I gladly bathed in its steaming hot waters.

Afterward, we lunched at an ancient noodle house, with great blackened ceiling beams, heavy wooden tables and impressive pottery. All the noodles were served in beautiful large, heavy handmade bowls, which to my untrained eye seemed like priceless museum pieces. The whole place (and its menu) appeared unchanged for centuries, despite the fact that the hip young waiters used what were then high-tech electric notebooks to take our orders.

There were over two dozen choices of noodle soup, some with slender buckwheat soba noodles, others with fat white chewy udon noodles. I hadn’t encountered udon before, so I ordered a bowl of them with shiitake mushrooms. The broth was sensational. The noodles were delightfully chewy. My one mistake as a novice eater of Japanese noodles was continuously sprinkling my bowl with shichimi togarashi, a red chili spice mixture that was new to me. By the time I reached the bottom, the last few spoonfuls of broth were incendiary.

The mushroom soup was fitting, since we had just visited a mushroom farm and observed shiitakes growing. Rather than cultivate them in a cave, the locals drill holes in logs and inoculate them with spores. Then the logs are placed in the woods so the mushrooms grow in a natural setting.

Last week, to satisfy my sudden craving for a bowl of udon, I set to the task of making broth. Cooking from memory, with no ingredients on hand to make a proper Japanese dashi broth from kombu (dried kelp) and shaved bonito tuna, I improvised a vegetarian version using dried shiitakes and miso. I did have dried seaweed and udon noodles in the cupboard, bought at my favorite Japanese grocery. I started off with a not-very-Japanese sauté of leeks in butter, a favorite base for vegetarian soups. Fresh shiitake mushrooms, greens and tofu filled out the dish.

As we devoured our noodles and broth, I remembered how my American friend’s Japanese pals teased her mercilessly, because she couldn’t master the polite art of slurping noisily, the preferred way to eat noodles at their best.

As with other acquired skills, the way to become proficient is to practice daily. That’s an I assignment I don’t mind at all.

—Mushroom Udon Noodle Bowl

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Total time: 1 hour

For the broth:

3 large scallions, trimmed

1 handful dried shiitake mushrooms, crushed (about 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup crumbled dried seaweed, such as kombu or dulse (optional)

1 (1-inch) chunk of ginger, smashed and unpeeled

2 whole, unpeeled garlic cloves

Stems or trimmings from fresh shiitake mushrooms (see below) (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

For the soup:

1 pound dried udon noodles (or use fresh or frozen, cooked udon)

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped leeks, white and pale green parts only

8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced in 1/4-inch strips (save trimmings for broth)

1 teaspoon minced ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup mirin or dry sherry

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 cups chopped bok choy

1/2 cup red or white miso

1 cup soft or medium tofu, cut in small cubes

4 scallions, finely chopped, for garnish

Shichimi togarashi or crushed red-pepper flakes, for garnish

1. Make the broth: In a large pot, bring 8 cups water to a boil over high heat. Add scallion, dried mushrooms, seaweed (if using), ginger, garlic, fresh mushroom trimmings and salt. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Strain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a separate pot, cook udon noodles until al dente, then drain, rinse well with cold water, and keep at room temperature.

3. In a soup pot, melt butter over medium-high heat and swirl to coat the bottom of the pot. Add leeks and sliced shiitake and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, mirin, sesame oil and soy sauce and cook for 1 minute. Turn heat to high, add reserved broth and bring to a simmer.

4. Add bok choy and reserved noodles and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until greens are cooked and noodles are heated through. Gently stir in miso and tofu. Turn off heat.

5. Using tongs, divide noodles among 4 to 6 bowls. Ladle hot soup over noodles. Sprinkle with scallions and serve. Pass togarashi or crushed red pepper at the table.