Authentic Gourmet Vegan Udon Noodles

We have created a delicious Udon noodle soup, carefully flavored with only pure plant-based ingredients and free from artificial flavorings! The leftover ingredients to make the Udon Dashi can also be eaten and are very tasty.
We have made a delicious vegan Udon noodle soup, using vegan braised Shiitake as a base, and can be eaten as a side dish or condiment. The braised Shiitake was highly acclaimed at Shiitake tasting events. It's delicious, so please make sure you cook a lot of noodles.
This recipe brings out the ultimate Umami taste for Dashi. Please read each step carefully. Each detail and step is used to deepen and strengthen the Dashi flavors. It might seem a bit complicated and detailed, but we think you will be rewarded for the extra work. We have also provided a quick and easy Vegan Udon Dashi when you don't have the time or the will ("Easy Vegan Udon Noodle Soup, made with Shiitake powder"). It is also good but not at the same level as this Dashi.
When cooking for a lot of people or using the finest Shiitake, there are times when the Umami taste of the Shiitake is too strong, giving rise to bitterness. If that happens, it's ok to thin out the Shiitake Dashi broth with water or increase the kelp Dashi amount.

Japanese

Vegan Zen

Traditional

Soaking water

Vegan

Noodle

Ingredients (2 people) (90 minutes, plus overnight rehydration)

5 (dried weight 20-30g) Dried Shiitake mushrooms
12g Kombu (dried kelp)
20g dried soybeans
2g Kanpyo (Dried Gourd Strips)
for two people Udon noodles
- Condiments of your choice, such as chopped scallions, grated ginger, grated daikon and nori
30ml Mirin-A
30ml soy sauce-A
1tsp grain vinegar (such as Japanese Rice Vinegar)-A
40ml Soy sauce-B
15g brown sugar-B
15ml Mirin-B
50ml water-C
1 Tbsp soy sauce-C
2tsp Mirin-C

Steps

Soak the Kombu in water for 30 minutes and then cut finely. Kombu Dashi will further deepen from the cut surfaces.

Heat the frying pan, and roast the dried soybeans over low heat until golden brown. The sound will change from a dry metallic sound to a kind of muffled sound. When the sound changes back to the original dry metallic sound, they are done.

Soak the Kombu and roasted soybeans in water overnight. Rinse the dried Shiitake and place it in water in a separate bowl and soak overnight in the fridge.

Use the water to rehydrate the Kombu-soybean and Shiitake which creates dashi. Use 350ml of the Kombu-soybean dashi and add 300ml of the Shiitake Dashi. You will need a total of 650ml of the two dashi so adjust liquid levels as needed.

Add the Kanpyo to (4.), and heat with Shiitake, Kombu, and soybeans, and bring to a boil. Boil on high heat for two minutes and remove the scum.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 30 minutes. While cooling, the Dashi will further emerge.

Strain the Dashi from (6.). You will need a total of 440ml. Add more water if less than 440ml (The Dashi leftover soybeans, kanpyo & konbu make a delicious side dish, so after straining, set the leftovers aside to use latter).

Remove the Shiitake stems (you will use them later) and slice the Shiitake caps into 5mm strips.

Place 300ml of the 420ml Dashi from (7.) into a pot and add the Shiitake caps, with Seasonings "A" (Mirin, soy sauce, and vinegar). Boil for a short while and remove the scum.

Simmer on low heat for another ten minutes to reduce to about 180ml, then remove and allow to cool. After ten minutes, take out the boiled Shiitake only. You will use the remaining 180ml of this Dashi later in Step 12.

Place the Seasonings "B" in a separate pot. Because the amounts are small, make the Kaeshi by tilting the pan over low heat and mixing well with chopsticks until the sugar melts.

Add 180ml of the leftover Dashi from which you removed the simmered Shiitake in (10.), and 140ml of the remaining dashi from (7.) and the Kaeshi Seasoning from (11.).

Chill the soup from (12.). You should have approximately 350ml of Udon soup. As it cools, the taste will mellow, and over time the Umami taste will become deeper.

Cut off only the hard part of the Shiitake stems and cut into small pieces to make them easier to eat. Along with the leftover soybean, konbu, and kanpyo mix Seasonings "C" and simmer until only a little Dashi remains.

Boil the Udon noodles and eat with the Udon Dashi from (13.). The Udon Dashi can be served chilled, room temperature of hot depending on the season and your preference. Enjoy the boiled Shiitake, the boiled items from (14.), and condiments of your choice

Traditionally, the boiled Udon Noodles and Udon Dashi are served separately. The Udon Noodles are dipped into the Dashi and eaten slurped down. Condiments are usually added to the Dashi in small quantities. Japanese like to add just enough condiments for

Arrangement example: Kake Udon

Arrangement example: Soba

Point

Udon has an important meaning to Zen monks. In Zen temples, it is not allowed to make noise when eating, and they are limited to three bowls of rice porridge, but only in the "Udon occasion" is it allowed to be slurped with a loud noise and to be refilled as much as they want.

About 800 years ago, an old Chinese monk came to the ship of Dogen, the founder of Zen Buddhism, to buy dried Shiitake from Japan. This high-ranking monk was the head of Zen cuisine. He walked 23 kilometers one way to get the Japanese Shiitake, made the most delicious Udon soup, and wanted to provide the young monks with a delightful meal for Boy's Day celebration (May 5). The story of his encounter with this old monk is repeatedly mentioned in the bible of zen cooking, Tenzo-kyokun, suggesting that it was a very important encounter for Dogen.

Dried Shiitake mushrooms should be rehydrated in cold water to make them sweeter and tastier without any messy taste.

How to Rehydrate Dried Shiitake Mushrooms for Maximum Flavor

Quick and easy rehydration for dried Shiitake

Why does dried Shiitake make food taste better?