Udon with Shiitake Mushrooms and Kale in Miso Broth

I'm just getting over being sick for a full month, and when I'm sick I crave Japanese food. I wish I had found this recipe when I was just coming down with the plague. It's cheap, comforting, easy, and incredibly satisfying. It's also arguably the healthiest thing I've ever made in the kitchen.


This recipe comes from the venerable Veganomicon and features red miso, which magically enhances any broth-y entree.


Since I live alone, I bought all the ingredients, prepped the onions and mushrooms, set half of them aside, and cooked a half recipe two days in a row. Fresh udon noodles should be available at any halfway-fancy grocery store - in fact, I've never seen dried udon noodles, so fresh noodles may be easier to find. I also at least doubled the amount of fresh ginger in this recipe, but your ginger threshold may not be as high as mine.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb fresh or dried udon noodles
  
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  
• 1 medium red onion, sliced into thin half-moons
  
• 4 oz shiitake mushrooms, rinsed, stems trimmed, sliced
  
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 2 tsp ginger, minced
  
• 2 Tbsp mirin (optional)
  
• 2 cups water
  
• 3 Tbsp miso (preferably red, if using light add another Tbsp)
  
• 4 c chopped kale
  
• 2 tsp soy sauce

Directions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the udon per the directions. Fresh udon will take about 2 min. Drain, rinse with cool water, and set aside.
   
2. Saute the onion and mushrooms in the oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for another minute.
   
3. Add the mirin, water, soy sauce, and miso, and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat and add the kale. Toss with tongs until kale has wilted, about a minute.
   
4. Add the noodles, toss again, and serve.