Udon Noodle Soup

This was my first attempt at making this soup one late night in my 'test kitchen'. I love the udon noodle. This is what I came up with, with what I had on hand. Add meat to the soup, if desired.

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins
• Calories: 249 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ lemon, juiced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 dash sesame oil
• 3 slices fresh ginger root
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• ½ small head cabbage, sliced
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• ½ (8 ounce) package snow peas
• 2 large carrots, diagonally sliced
• 3 stalks celery, diagonally sliced
• ½ cup quartered mushrooms
• 4 cups fresh udon noodles, or to taste
• ¾ (17.6 ounce) jar yakisoba sauce
• 1 teaspoon sambal sauce, or to taste
• 3 white onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup bean sprouts, or more to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add carrots and cook uncovered until tender yet firm to the bite, about 2 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes to stop the cooking process. Drain. Repeat with celery, cabbage, chopped onion, and snow peas, cooking separately.

Step 2

Heat olive oil and sesame oil in a stockpot over medium heat; cook and stir mushrooms, garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chicken broth and noodles; bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes.

Step 3

Mix carrots, celery, cabbage, onion, snow peas, and water chestnuts into broth mixture; stir in yakisoba sauce, soy sauce, lemon juice, sambal sauce, and balsamic vinegar. Simmer soup until flavors have combined, 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 4

Ladle soup into bowls and top with sliced onions and bean sprouts.