Name: Vegan Udon Noodles with Mustard Greens and Shiitake-Ginger Sauce
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms , stemmed and sliced thin; ¼ cup mirin; 3 tablespoons rice vinegar; 3 tablespoons soy sauce; 2 garlic cloves , smashed and peeled; 1 (1-inch) piece ginger , peeled, halved, and smashed; ½ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms , rinsed and minced; 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil; 1 teaspoon Asian chili-garlic sauce; 1 pound mustard greens , stemmed and chopped into 2-inch pieces; Salt and pepper; 1 pound fresh udon noodles

Why This Recipe Works

Noodles and greens make a hearty meal. We thought this partnership was a great way to create a vegan noodle dish that was delicate yet filling, and we set out to develop a recipe that married the spicy bite of mustard greens with udon noodles. Udon are fat, chewy noodles made of wheat flour that are sold dried or semidried. Since they're starchy and a bit sweet, they stand up well to savory sauces, so we made a highly aromatic and flavorful broth, first browning meaty shiitake mushrooms for flavor and then adding water and mirin along with rice vinegar, soy sauce, cloves of garlic, and a chunk of fresh ginger. Dried shiitake mushrooms, sesame oil, and chili-garlic sauce rounded out the flavors. After this mixture simmered and reduced, we had a sauce that was light and brothy but supersavory—perfect for pairing with our cooked noodles and greens.

Before You Begin

Because fresh noodles cook so quickly, we made sure to add the greens to the pot before the noodles. Do not substitute other types of noodles for the udon noodles here.

Instructions

Heat vegetable oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add fresh mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 cups water, mirin, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, dried mushrooms, sesame oil, and chili-garlic sauce and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until liquid has reduced by half, 8 to 10 minutes. Off heat, discard garlic and ginger; cover pot to keep warm.

Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add mustard greens and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until greens are nearly tender, about 5 minutes. Add noodles and cook until greens and noodles are tender, about 2 minutes. Reserve ⅓ cup cooking water, drain noodles and greens, and return them to pot. Add sauce and reserved cooking water, and toss to combine. Cook over medium-low heat, tossing constantly, until sauce clings to noodles, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.