Happy New Year!!! Let’s start 2018 with a noodle recipe for longevity purpose. I combine arrowhead (ngaku) and a couple of ingredients (mushroom, cabbage and pork) with miso to make a flavorful noodle soup. Initially, I wanted to make arrowhead chips (Chinese New Year coming ma) but my mandoline malfunctioned. Since I’ve already peeled the arrowheads, might as well use it for cooking. Hence, this recipe is born.
Arrowhead mushroom miso noodle soup.
Let’s get down to the details.
I use dehydrated shiitake mushrooms which I soaked in hot water to soften it. I then save the mushroom water (~ 125ml) for the soup. If you don’t have mushroom water, you can skip this step but it will give the soup more flavor. Notice the bowl in the background? That’s my mushroom water.
In a saucepan in medium heat, heat oil and add minced pork. Stir-fry for a bit, then add salt, soy sauce and black pepper. Continue stir-fry until almost cooked. Then add arrowhead, cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, bonito flakes, mushroom water and 750ml water. If you don’t have mushroom water, add 875ml water instead.
In this photo, I’ve just added mushrooms and mushroom water to the minced pork.
After adding everything, the saucepan is almost full. No worry, the ingredients will cook down. Once the soup is boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes with lid close.
While the soup is cooking, you can heat another saucepan with about 3/4 water to cook the noodles.
I use this type of Japanese noodles called hiyamugi. You can use whatever type of noodles you prefer.
Once water is boiling, add the amount of noodles (about 70g-90g per person) and cook until al dente or soft (depending on your preference). Strain the noodles and place in serving bowls.
After 15 minutes is up, scoop 1 tablespoon to 1.5 tablespoons of miso paste. Place the miso paste in a sieve so you can easily break it down. Then scoop the remaining coarse miso from the sieve into the soup. Simmer covered for 5-8 minutes.
Scoop the soup onto the noodles in the bowls earlier. That’s it.
This noodle soup is sweet and savory thanks to the use of cabbage, mushroom and pork… and not forgetting umamilicious from the miso. Let me slurp it up!
If noodles is not your cup of tea, you can eat it just like that or accompany with rice.
This recipe is good for packed lunch. Keep the noodles and soup separate. The next day, steam the noodles and simmer the soup. Keep both in thermal lunch bag. Mix them when you’re ready to eat.
Let me know if you like it. 🙂
Arrowhead Mushroom Miso Noodle Soup
Serves 2-3
2 arrowhead (ngaku), cubed
1/2 round cabbage, sliced
3 medium or 6 small shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water and sliced (keep mushroom water for soup ~125ml)
100g minced pork
bonito flakes (katsuobushi), a small handful
1 to 1.5 tablespoons miso paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
freshly grated black pepper
1 tablespoon coconut oil/olive oil
750ml water
noodles of your choice, quantity depends on how many person eating (usually about 70g-90g per person)
Method
1. Heat saucepan on medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil.
2. Once oil is hot, add minced pork. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and freshly grated black pepper. Saute the minced pork until almost cooked.
3. Add cubed arrowhead, sliced cabbage, sliced shiitake mushrooms, bonito flakes, mushroom water and 750ml water. Bring the soup to a boil. Then simmer for 15 minutes with lid close.
4. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, fill it with 3/4 full of water. Once water is boiling, add noodles of your choice and cook until al dente or soft (depends on your preference). Strain the cooked noodles and place in serving bowls.
5. Back to the soup, after 15 minutes is up, add 1 to 1.5 tablespoons miso paste. Use a small sieve to break the paste. Simmer for 5 to 8 minutes with lid close. To serve, ladle the soup onto the noodles in the serving bowls.
Enjoy!
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