Shitake Mushroom and Fennel Soba Noodle Soup

shitake mushroom and fennel soba noodle soup

This is a relatively simple soup to make that is light and flavorful, an ideal meal for a cool spring or summer evening. This is the second time I've made this dish. The first time was for a noodle-based supper club, but I think it had a touch too much ginger (this time I cut it back some). Also, I added the raw soba noodles to the soup to cook and they got pretty soggy and broke apart easily. This time I cooked them separate and added the broth and veggies on top of the noodles, which worked out much better.

Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 30-40 min

Ingredients:

3-4 cubes (or cups) vegetable broth
8 cups water (adjust if desired)
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 inch cube ginger, minced
1-2 yellow onions, chopped
1 large fennel root w/leaves, coarsely chopped
1lb shitake mushrooms, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
1/8 cup kombu flakes (break up large pieces if necessary)
1lb soba noodles
1 cup jicama (thinly julienned)
1 cup cilantro

Directions:

• cook soba noodles as directed, set aside (add some olive oil to reduce noodles sticking together)
• bring 8 cups water and broth to boil
• add in ginger, garlic, onions, carrots, and fennel root and cook for 15-20 minutes or until veggies are tender
• add in mushrooms and kombu cook for 10 minutes more or until mushrooms are soft
• place 1 serving of noodles in bowl, add vegetables and broth, top with jicama and cilantro

Potential Alternatives:

• try using miso paste as a base instead of vegetable broth
• add other vegetables (parsnips, celery, peppers, etc.)
• try using with rice noodles or udon noodles
• add basil, parsley, lemongrass instead of cilantro