Chicken Udon Noodle Soup

The key to a good udon soup is a layered and rich broth, and this recipe doesn’t fail to deliver. Dried shiitake mushrooms are soaked in warm water to create an intense, umami-rich stock. Dashi, a Japanese fish stock, is added along with other seasonings to create a complex and deeply satisfying broth. The chicken is simmered in the broth to add to the flavor of the dish, but the fresh vegetables are added at the end, which keeps them nice and crisp, contrasting with the soft and gummy udon noodles. Add a soft-poached egg or two and you have yourself a truly delicious soup. • serves 2

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• 10 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 5½ cups warm water
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons mirin
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons ponzu
• 2 teaspoons powdered dashi base
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
• 3 ounces oyster mushrooms
• 1½ ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 5 ounces dried udon noodles
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 large radish or 3 small radishes, thinly sliced
• 2 ounces radicchio, sliced
• 2 large eggs

In a medium bowl, place the dried shiitake mushrooms in 1½ cups of the warm water and soak for 30 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, dice, and set aside.

Empty the mushroom soaking water into a medium pot and add the remaining 4 cups water. Place the pot over medium-high heat and stir in the mirin, soy sauce, ponzu, dashi base, and rice vinegar. Bring to a boil. Add the chicken breasts and reduce the heat. Cover and simmer, stirring once, until the chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Add the carrot, oyster mushrooms, fresh shiitake mushrooms, and rehydrated shiitake mushrooms and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Cover and set aside.

Fill a separate medium stockpot about two-thirds full with water and bring to a boil. Add the udon noodles and boil, stirring every 4 minutes, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Add the noodles to the broth in the medium pot and stir in the green onions, radish, and radicchio. Crack the eggs over the top of the pot, cover, and simmer over low heat until the whites of the eggs are cooked but the yolks are still soft and jiggly, about 4 minutes. Serve immediately.