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INGREDIENTS

150 g plain seitan, torn into

strips

2 servings of your preferred

noodles

A few drops of sesame oil

2–3 lettuce leaves, chopped

1 sprig coriander, chopped

1 spring onion, green part only,

chopped

Chilli flakes to taste

SAUCE

125 ml (

1

/

2

cup) stock

1 Tbsp light soy sauce

1

/

2

Tbsp dark soy sauce

1 cube fermented tofu

1 tsp sugar

1

/

2

Tbsp cooking oil

3 cloves garlic, peeled and

minced

0.5-cm knob ginger, peeled and

minced

1 tsp salt

3

/

4

Tbsp Chinese black vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

MUSHROOM MINCE

1 Tbsp oil

5-cm stalk leek, finely chopped

6 shiitake mushrooms (or your

preferred mushrooms), about

140 g, finely chopped

1 Tbsp light or premium soy

sauce

3–4 Tbsp water or stock

SOUP

600 ml stock

4 spring onions or 4 sprigs

coriander, chopped

1

/

2

tsp salt, or to taste

dry noodles with

mushroom mince

Serves 2

METHOD

1.

To make the sauce, place stock, both soy sauces, fermented tofu

and sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix until combined. Set aside.

2.

Heat cooking oil over medium-low heat in a saucepan. Sauté garlic

and ginger with salt for a minute or until lightly browned and

fragrant. Add seitan strips and sauté for a couple of minutes until

lightly browned. Remove seitan strips and set aside. To the sautéed

garlic and ginger, add the stock mixture, stirring to dissolve the

fermented tofu. Bring to a gentle boil, then remove from heat and

mix in black vinegar and sesame oil. This makes about 250 ml. Set

aside.

3.

To make the mushroom mince, start by heating oil in a frying pan

over medium heat. Add leek and sauté for 40–60 seconds until

slightly translucent and fragrant.

4.

Add mushrooms and soy sauce, then sauté until mushrooms shrink

to almost half their size. Add 2 Tbsp stock, lower heat to medium-

low and let it reduce. The mushrooms should be moist, glistening

and slightly sticky. If not, add 1 Tbsp stock at a time and reduce until

they are. Set aside.

5.

Cook noodles according to packet instructions. Drain and add a few

drops of sesame oil and mix well to coat. Set aside.

6.

To make the soup, bring stock to a boil. Remove from heat, season

with salt to taste and add spring onions or coriander.

7.

To assemble, pour sauce over noodles and mix well. Portion into

bowls and arrange lettuce leaves on the side. Top with mushroom

mince, seitan strips, coriander or spring onions, and chilli flakes.

Serve warm with soup.

NOTES

•

Seitan strips can be replaced with other toppings such as cooked chickpeas,

fried tempeh, tofu puffs and nuts.

•

Fermented tofu adds an extra layer of umami and makes the sauce slightly

creamier. It can be replaced with 1 heaping Tbsp white miso, or simply omit

and add more soy sauce and black vinegar to taste.

•

Allium-free options: The garlic in the sauce can be omitted with more ginger

added in place. The leek in the mushroom mince can be replaced with finely

chopped celery or 1

1

/

2

Tbsp toon paste to add a base fragrance to the mince.

•

Gluten-free options: use tofu or tempeh instead of seitan. Swap the soy

sauce for tamari or liquid aminos.

•

When I cook noodles that need to be set aside for later, I always add a bit of

oil after draining. It prevents the noodles from sticking as they cool.

•

Because the noodles are meant to taste heavier, the soup is kept light. Feel

free to omit the soup if you like and pair with your favourite drink instead.