Soba Noodles in Shiitake Shoyu Broth with Spring Vegetables - Recipe
I’m rarely jealous of meat eaters, but their Asian noodle soups do get my attention. I wanted to create a very full flavored broth with lots of umami intensity. I make it with dried shiitakes, kombu, and the best shoyu I have ever tasted.
Soba are Japanese noodles made from buckwheat flour. Soba are often served cold with a dipping sauce, but are equally great in soup. The buckwheat flavor is distinctively nutty and earthy. It has a peculiar resonance for me because it reminds me of the kasha that my eastern European Jewish family served growing up. Funny how the same flavor can appear successfully in such different contexts. The same soup could be made with ramen or udon noodles and still be delicious.
The toppings for this soup are a nice transition from winter to spring. We have the leeks and dried mushrooms that are a mainstay of the cold weather months, and asparagus and eggs that have always symbolized spring. A few green onions add a bright top note, and the soft tofu brings another texture and some protein. I'm not sure I can think of anything I'd rather eat on a rainy day. Of course you can vary the toppings to suit your mood and the contents of your vegetable drawer.
Shoyu is the Japanese name for soy sauce. If you can find unpasteurized Nama Shoyu, it is to most other shoyu as Parmigiano-Reggiano is to the stuff in the green can. The flavor is more complex and caramelized, less salty, and with no chemical edge. Because it is unpasteurized it is also (claimed to be) a source for healthy digestive probiotic bacteria.
The eggs are cooked using my favorite technique for boiled eggs. They are placed in a pan of cold water, brought to a boil and then the heat is turned off and they are covered. For soft-boiled, you use about 4 . For this dish I used 8 minutes, which gives a terrific texture. The whites and yolk are both set, but the yolk is ever so slightly underdone, bright yellow and translucent. The whites remain tender and unrubbery. Try it; I think you'll like it.
Soba Noodles in Shiitake Shoyu Broth with Spring Vegetables
Serves 4 / 45 minutes
- 2 cups dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1 piece of Kombu seaweed (about 6" - 8" long)
- 1 small piece (1/2") fresh ginger, peeled
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 4 medium leeks; discard tough outer layer; white parts only, halved lengthwise and carefully cleaned
- 4 eggs
- 12 ounces soft tofu, ½” cubes
- 1 large bunch of thick asparagus, tough parts removed and lightly peeled
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Kosher salt
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
- shoyu (Japanese soy sauce; see note above about best brand)
- 9 ounces dry soba noodles
- toasted sesame oil
- Briefly rinse the dried shiitakes and bring them, along with the kombu, ginger and garlic to a simmer in 8 cups of water. Cook for 20 minutes.
- Add the leeks and simmer for 10 more minutes or until the leeks are tender. Remove the leeks with a slotted spoon and reserve. Discard the kombu. Strain the broth, through a fine sieve, squeezing out as much from the mushrooms as possible. Slice enough of the shiitake caps thinly to yield 1 cup for serving, and save the rest for another use.
- Add 3 tablespoons of the shoyu to the broth. Taste and add more if needed.
- Put the eggs in a small pot, covered with cold water by 1/2". Bring the pot to a boil over a high flame, then cover and remove from the heat. Set a timer for exactly 8 minutes, then shock in cold water and peel.
- Brush the asparagus with oil and grill in a single layer (a grill pan works fine). If you can't grill, do them in a single layer in a large skillet. Cook until tender and charred spots are appearing on all sides. Remove and season with salt.
- Boil the soba noodles according to the package directions and strain.
- Bring the broth back to a simmer.
- To serve, put about 1 cup of noodles in each of 4 heated bowls. Cut the eggs in half. Top the noodles with the leeks, eggs, asparagus, sliced shiitake caps, tofu and green onions. Take your time to make an attractive arrangement. Ladle in about 1 1/2 cups of the broth. Drizzle in a few drops of the sesame oil and serve it forth.
