The Back Yard Lemon Tree

Who doesn’t like a good noodle soup? There is something so completely satisfying about this meal in a bowl. You don’t have to muck around with bread or anything else – you get your carbohydrates veggies and a bit of protein, all in one bowl.

This udon soup is a proper meal with everything you need to sustain you in the one bowl. I’ve added roasted pumpkin, cabbage and mushrooms as soup toppings here but you can improvise and adapt and add anything you feel like onto this basic udon noodle and miso base. Udon noodle soup, topped with tempura, is a particular favorite of mine. For protein you can add some pre-seasoned teriyaki tofu, stir fry cubes tofu or cubes of silken tofu or if you want to really up the ante add a jammy egg. Whichever way you decide to roll with this soup, an absolute must is Japanese red pepper mix, Shichimi Togarashi, sprinkled liberally over the top.

Notes on the Recipe – If you aren’t up to making your own stock use a good quality commercial vegetarian stock (I often use Maissel chicken-style stock) and season it with some extra ginger.

Udon noodle miso soup with roasted pumpkin, cabbage and shitake mushrooms

Adapted from L.V. Anderson’s miso ramen soup, Slate Magazine

Serves 3–4

• 1 small butternut pumpkin (700 to 900 grams 1½ to 2 pounds) peeled, seeded and cut into 2 cm (1 inch) chunks
• 1 tablespoon oil
• Salt and black pepper
• ¼ head of savoy cabbage (about 170 grams or 6 ounces) cut into 2½ cm (1 inch) pieces
• 8 mushrooms (shitake or portobello mushrooms work well)
• 180 grams sliced seasoned tofu
• 280 grams (10 ounces) udon or ramen noodles
• 1 litre (4 cups) vegetable stock seasoned with tamari, mirin and ginger
• ¼ cup of white miso
• 4 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced

1. Heat oven to 200°C (400°F). Toss the pumpkin in oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast squash for about 20 minutes, until beginning to brown, add cabbage and mushrooms (slice mushrooms into halves or quarters if they are very large). Toss in oil with pumpkin and cook for another 10 minutes until cabbage and mushrooms are tender and lightly browned.
2. Heat water in large pot, add noodles and cook according to packet instructions until just al dente. Drain thoroughly and rinse.
3. Heat vegetable stock and aromatics in pan and bring to a simmer, take off heat and whisk through miso.
4. Divide the noodles, vegetables, tofu and spring onions amongst serving bowls and pour the miso broth over the top. Serve immediately.