Ingredients
- 8 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) boiling water
- 400 g (14 oz) fresh udon noodles
- 1 litre (35 fl oz/4 cups) good-quality chicken stock
- 1 litre (35 fl oz/4 cups) water
- 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) skinless chicken breast fillets, cut into 1.5 cm ( 5 5/8 8 in) thick strips
- 300 g (10 1/2 oz) baby bok choy (pak choy), halved lengthways
- 60 g (2 1/4 oz/ 1/4 cup) white miso paste
- 2 teaspoons dashi granules
- 1 tablespoon wakame flakes or other seaweed
- 150 g (5 1/2 oz) silken firm tofu, cut into 1 cm (1/2 in) dice
- 3 spring onions (scallions), sliced diagonally, to serve
Method
1. Soak the mushrooms in the boiling water for 30 minutes. Squeeze dry, reserving the soaking liquid. Discard the woody stalks and thinly slice the caps. Set aside.
2. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and cook the noodles for 1-2 minutes or until just tender. Drain immediately and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
3. Put the stock and water into a wok and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce the heat, add the chicken and simmer gently for 2-3 minutes or until almost cooked through.
4. Add the mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Add the bok choy halves and simmer for another 1 minute or until beginning to wilt.
5. Remove from the heat, add the miso paste, dashi granules, wakame and reserved mushroom liquid and stir to dissolve the dashi and miso paste. Gently stir in the tofu. Divide the noodles among serving bowls then ladle the hot soup over. Serve the soup scattered with the spring onion.
