During the day, when I’m home alone, I turn down the thermostat way down in our house to save energy (and money). I don’t mind the cold and just dress in sweatshirts and hoodies while I work. I originally came up with these mushroom broth soba noodle bowls because I wanted something to simmer on the stovetop on chilly days!
These pasta bowls have a few ingredients that you might not be familiar with, but I’ll give you some good substitutes and most of them are optional. The broth can be quickly cooked together for about an hour or longer in a slow cooker while you’re on the go. Either way, it’s hearty and chill crushing.
And don’t forget the soft-boiled egg. It’s simpler than you think!
Make mushroom stock
I have a crazy selection of dried things in my pantry. I sort of collect them. When I’m dying for a good broth, I raid my parched area and throw in whatever looks good.
On this day, that broth consisted of a whole bunch of dried porcini mushrooms, some strips of kombu, a handful of dried black mushrooms, and some red chillies.
That’s kind of a rant of ingredients and I don’t really expect you to have them all or use them all.
I would say the key ingredients in order are:
1) Dried mushrooms
2) Dried chillies
3) kombus
4) Dried black fungus
Believe it or not, the last two ingredients are becoming more common and you can find them in some grocery stores and definitely every Asian market.
Don’t miss the mushrooms, chillies, garlic or ginger. That’s the good stuff.
If you’re cooking this quickly, bring a saucepan to a simmer and gently simmer the ingredients in about 10 cups of water, covered. Let this stuff simmer for at least an hour to infuse the flavors.
Alternatively, you can toss everything in a slow cooker and turn it on low. Leave it on for 4-6 hours and you will be in excellent shape.
The only important thing about this broth is that it’s absolutely flavorful, but has no real spices at this point. If you serve it as is it will be disappointing.
Be sure to season the broth in either the pot or bowl with dashes of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil to really bring it to life. Taste as you go. There is no exact amount of spices you need.
When the broth has boiled, strain out the solids, then return them to the pan to reduce while you prepare the other ingredients for these soba noodle bowls.
Soba noodles and substitutes
I love soba noodles for these bowls. If you have never used soba noodles, they are thin noodles made from buckwheat flour. I really like them in pasta bowls and pasta salads. You can see my complete guide to cooking soba to perfection if you want more information.
The real danger of soba is overcooking it, so be sure to keep an eye on the noodles.
Are soba noodles gluten free? It depends. Some brands are, but I would check each brand’s packaging to make sure.
If you don’t feel like it, you can substitute other noodles like udon noodles or even rice noodles.
After you drain the soba, toss in some sesame oil to keep the noodles from sticking.
More ingredients for the soba noodle bowl
These bowls are all about the add-ins and you can use a ton of different veggies.
I recommend sautéing some fresh mushrooms for the bowls. Cremini would be easiest, but I like to throw in some oyster mushrooms too. You don’t need a bunch because the broth has plenty of flavor, but it does add a meaty feel to the bowl if that makes sense.
I sautéed my mushrooms in a drizzle of olive oil for just a few minutes until reduced and lightly browned.
The other very important topping for these soba noodle bowls is the soft boiled egg!
I’ve written about soft-boiled eggs before and I encourage you to check out this post to see how to really make them without the hassle. I have had great success with this method.
You can also just quickly fry the egg if that’s more your style. Either way, but somehow an egg in there.
More toppings? Spring onions. carrots Sesame oil. Sesame seeds. Soy sauce. You can do it.
Other options like shaved red cabbage or other fresh herbs like cilantro, chives, or even chopped Thai chilies pair well with these soba noodle bowls.
Keep your house cool and your meals warm!
If you have any questions about the broth or want other substitutions, leave a comment!
My soba noodle bowl recipe
Mushroom Soba Noodle Bowls
Mushroom Soba Noodles, hearty bowls that start with a simple homemade mushroom broth. Crowned with many fantastic toppings.
mushroom population:
- 10 cups Water
- ¾ oz. dried porcini mushrooms
- 2 large chunks of kombu
- 5 pieces dried black mushroom opt.
- 4 dried red chilies
- 3 cloves sliced ​​garlic
- 2 Customs fresh ginger cut
Other ingredients:
- 9 ounces Soba noodles cooked
- 10 ounces Cremini mushrooms sautéed
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- Shredded carrots
- Soft boiled eggs
- soy sauce taste good
- rice wine vinegar taste good
- spring onions garnish
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In a large saucepan, add the ingredients for the broth and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and let the broth simmer for about an hour. Strain solids and simmer liquid, uncovered, to reduce slightly.
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In a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat, add a drizzle of olive oil. Then add the sliced ​​mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms lose their liquid and turn light brown. keep warm
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Cook the soba in boiling water according to the package insert. Be careful not to overcook. When done, drain soba and toss with a tablespoon of sesame oil.
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To make a bowl, divide the noodles into a bowl and scoop in hot mushroom broth to just cover the noodles. Season the broth and noodles with a dash of soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Garnish with sautéed mushrooms, grated carrots, sliced ​​spring onions, and soft-boiled eggs. Drizzle bowl with more sesame oil.
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For eggs:
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Bring about 1/2 inch of water to a boil over medium-high heat in a saucepan large enough to hold your eggs in one layer.
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When the water is boiling, add eggs straight from the fridge.
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Cover pot and cook for exactly 6 1/2 minutes.
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Cover the pot and run cold water over the eggs for 30 seconds.
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Peel eggs starting with the larger end of the egg and slowly work the egg up. Halve the eggs and serve in a bowl.
Portion: 1BowlCalories: 373kcalCarbohydrates: 55GProtein: 12GFat: 15GSaturated Fatty Acids: 2GPolyunsaturated fat: 4GMonounsaturated fatty acids: 8thGSodium: 520mgPotassium: 576mgFiber: 1GSugar: 1GVitamin A: 1ieVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 121mgIron: 2mg
Did you do this?
Take a picture and tag it @macheesmo so i can see your work