Happy Thursday. Today, I’m bringing a lovely golden soup to your inbox. This udon soup is light and earthy, with enough heat to keep it interesting. The broth is 5 basic ingredients, including:
Ginger
Turmeric
Green chili peppers
Onion
Scallions
I ladled the hot broth over cooked udon noodles, but feel free to make this with any kind of noodle; soba, rice, or even ramen noodles would be fantastic in this.
The full recipe is below, but if you’d like caloric information or want to modify the number of servings, visit the recipe on the Exploring Vegan website by clicking the button below.
Ginger-Turmeric Udon
Serves: 4 | Cook time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
1 tablespoon neutral oil
3-inch piece of ginger, scrubbed, cut into large pieces, and smashed lightly with the back of your knife
2 teaspoons turmeric powder
2 serrano peppers, trimmed, halved, and cut into thirds
1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered
6 cups water
5 scallions
16 ounces frozen or dry udon
16 ounces firm tofu
Salt and pepper
For serving:
Chili oil and sesame seeds
Instructions
Prepare the broth:
Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the ginger, turmeric, serrano peppers, and yellow onion. Cook for 1–2 minutes. The turmeric will darken in color and become fragrant.
Simmer the broth:
Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add 1 teaspoon salt; you can always add more to taste later! Simmer, uncovered, for 20–30 minutes. Taste and season.
Finish the broth:
Strain the broth into a large bowl through a fine mesh sieve. Discard solids. Wipe out the pot and return it to the stove. Pour the broth back into the pot and turn the heat to low to keep it warm. Note: You can rinse the sieve and reuse it to strain the noodles later.
Prepare the scallions:
While the broth simmers, rinse the scallions thoroughly and trim off the root end. Separate the dark green tops from the white and light green bottoms. Mince the white and light green parts and set aside. Thinly slice the dark green tops on an angle and reserve for garnish.
Prepare the tofu:
Wrap the tofu in paper towels and transfer to a large plate. Place a heavy object on top. Set aside for 15 minutes.
After the tofu has been pressed, cut into 1–inch cubes. Season all over with salt and pepper.
Cook the noodles:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Divide between 4 bowls.
Finish the broth:
Turn the heat on the broth to medium and add the minced white parts of the scallions and cubed tofu. Cook for 5–10 minutes to warm the tofu through. Taste and season one final time. Turn off the heat.
To serve:
Ladle the tofu and broth over the udon. Garnish with the green parts of the scallions and finish with a drizzle of chili oil and a shake of sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Happy cooking!
-kylie 🌱