Tofu and Mushroom Udon Noodle Soup

I love udon noodles and they're great for a dish just like this one. Udon noodles are Japanese wheat noodles that have a great texture and can stand up to being in a soup without becoming mushy. This udon noodle soup is easy and fast to make and can be made with whatever vegetables you have on hand. The key to this dish's wonderful flavor and texture is the soy sauce and sesame oil in the broth and the green onions, cilantro and crunched nuts tossed on top.

Ingredients:

32 oz low sodium chicken stock
18 oz firm tofu
1/2 pound Udon noodles
1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
1/2 red bell pepper
2 tablespoons lite soy sauce
1tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon corn starch
Green onions
Cilantro
Crushed nuts

Preparation:

Cook the udon noodles according to the directions on the package and set a side. The noodles I use take 5 minutes and they're done.

Pour the chicken stock in to a large 3 quart sauce pan reserving 1/4 cup of the stock. Add the cubed tofu, sliced mushrooms, diced bell pepper, soy sauce and sesame oil. Bring the soup to a boil and and then simmer for 5 minutes.

Take the reserved chicken stock and mix in the corn starch. Add the mixture to the soup and this should thicken up the soup a little. Lastly, add the udon noodles to the soup.

To serve, ladle some soup into a bowl and top with green onions, cilantro and crushed nuts.