Braised Mushroom Soba Soup
Adapted from the Kake Soba recipe in Japanese Soul CookingThis Braised Mushroom Soba Soup features bronzed soy and mirin braised mushrooms, chewy noodles, and a crisp sheet of nori swimming in a cozy umami-heavy broth.
Ingredients
Kaeshi
- 1 cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup mirin
- 1 tbsp +2 tsp granulated sugar
Braised Mushroom Soba Soup
- 8½ cups dashi instant or homemade, divided
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 yellow onion cut into thin wedges
- 150g (5oz) maitake mushrooms trimmed and separated into smaller clusters
- 150g (5oz) shimeji mushrooms trimmed and separated into smaller clusters
- ¾ cup kaeshi divided
- 1 tsp sugar
- 6 tbsp mirin
- 350g (12oz) dried soba noodles
- 1 sheet nori cut into quarters
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- sesame oil drizzling
- furikake for sprinkling
Instructions
For the Kaeshi
- Pour the soy sauce, mirin, and sugar into a small skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let cook for 5 minutes before removing from the heat. Let cool to room temperature before transferring to a resealable container.
- Kaeshi can be made several days ahead and can be store in the fridge for up to 3 months. The flavor will deepen over time but you can also use kaeshi the same day it's made.
For the Soba Soup
- Make the dashi according to the package's directions.** Once done, turn the heat down as low as it can go and leave to gently simmer.
- In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and sauté until just softened. Stir in the mushrooms and cook until lightly browned. Pour in a ¼ cup of the kaeshi, ½ a cup of the dashi, and the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Let cook for 15-20 minutes or until most of the moisture has been absorbed. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.
- Pour ½ a cup of the kaeshi, and the mirin into the simmering dashi and stir. Let simmer until ready to serve.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the soba noodles and cook for 4 1/2 minutes or until tender. Keep some cold water on hand, and add a splash whenever the pot begins to boil over. This will improve the texture of the noodles and lower your risk of overcooking them.
- Drain the noodles and rinse in cold water. Divide the noodles into four bowls and pour the broth over top. Top with a couple of spoonfuls the mushroom mixture and add a quarter of a sheet of nori to each bowl. Garnish with scallions and furikake and serve immediately.
Notes
**If you want to try making dashi from scratch, I recommend Just One Cookbook's recipe.