Udon with Mushroom Broth, Cabbage, and Yams

Ingredients:

• 10 c vegetable broth
• 2-3 c water
• 1 1/2 c coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 1/2 oz dried shiitake mushrooms, rinsed
• 3/4 c thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 lemongrass stalks, outer dark layers removed, bottom 4 inches
• 2 6-inch strips dried kombu
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp unseasoned rice vinegar
• 2 c 1/2-inch cubes peeled yams
• 5 oz snow peas, trimmed
• 4 c napa cabbage, cored, in 1/2-inch crosswise slices
• 5 oz slender carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
• 10 oz Japanese-style udon noodles (or soba noodles)
• 1 c sliced green onions
• cubed semi-firm tofu, or sliced hard-boiled eggs
• sauce as preferred: sambal oelek, or soy sauce

Directions:

For broth:

Bring broth and 2-3 cups water to simmer in large pot over medium heat. Add cilantro, mushrooms, sliced ginger, and lemongrass. Cover and simmer until mushrooms are tender, about 30 minutes.

Rinse kombu, add to broth. Simmer 1 minute. Using tongs, remove kombu and mushrooms and discard kombu. Transfer mushrooms to work surface. Cut off stems and discard, slice mushroom caps and set aside.

Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into another large pot; discard solids in strainer. Add tamari and rice vinegar to broth. Can be made 1 day ahead and kept chilled.

For garnishes:

Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Put yams in mesh strainer and lower into pot. Cook until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Strain and set aside. Repeat process with snow peas, cabbage, and carrots separately, reusing the water, until they are all crisp-tender (snow peas, 30 seconds; cabbage, 1 1/2 minutes; carrots, 2 minutes). Set each aside. Reserve cooking liquid. Vegetables can be cooked 2 hours ahead. Let vegetables and liquid stand at room temperature.

Bring salted cooking liquid to boil. Add noodles; cook until tender but still firm to bite, following directions on package and stirring often. Drain; rinse.

Meanwhile, bring vegetable broth to simmer. Add green onions.

Using tongs, divide noodles among bowls. Divide mushrooms, yams, snow peas, cabbage, and carrots among bowls, each in separate mound. Divide tofu/eggs, if using, among bowls. Ladle broth over and serve, passing sambal oelek and tamari separately. OR serve everything separately, including broth, as a make-your-owl bowl.

from: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Udon-with-Mushroom-Broth-Cabbage-and-Yams-357289