This isn’t the first noodle soup recipe on this blog, and most assuredly, not the last; this however is (as immodest as it may sound) the alpha and the omega of soupy noodle world. Meatless magic in all its crimson glory. The red blush that stains this fantastic broth is courtesy ‘Gochujang’; that vividly red Korean paste of hot peppers, easily available at your nearest Asian grocery store.

To stave off unwarranted hunger pangs at odd lunch hours, this soup is the way to your soul. Calm cooking, languorous eating, dangerously addictive. A big bowl of hearty sustenance and full bodied flavours , almost as piquant as you’d wish your dreams to be.

 

Greens of choice. I’m using Chinese lettuce here. Coriander, mushrooms, green onions, ginger and garlic, noodles, soy sauce and gochujang.

Use whatever mushrooms are handy. I’m using a mix of oysters and white beech mushrooms.

 

Mince or chop together ginger and garlic

 

as well as the white part of green onions. Save the green tails for later.

 

In a pan or wok of choice, heat some oil and add the chopped/minced ginger+garlic+white part of green onions.

 

cook until fragrant, or just about translucent

 

add in the mushrooms

and give it a good tossing about in the oil.

 

add in a bunch of coriander into the pan with mushrooms. Save the rest for later.

 

add water/stock to the pan.

 

followed by a bit of salt. Only a bit.

 

cover and let it come to a boil, letting it rapidly boil for 5 minutes.

 

Chop the green ends of the spring onions

 

and the coriander.

 

add in an unapologetically fat glob of gochujang to the boiling mushroomy broth

 

ah, the fierce redness. Let it come to a boil before adding in the noodles.

 

cook noodles in the broth until they’re done.

 

add the green ends of the green onions in the bottom of a serving bowl and douse liberally with soy sauce.

 

layer on the lettuce

 

upend the cooked contents of the pan. Broth and noodles.

 

blanket the surface with chopped coriander

 

slurp hot!

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Ingredients

stock/water: 750mls (3 cups)

mushrooms: 200g (2 cups)

green onions: 2

garlic: 1 clove

ginger: 2-3 cms piece

coriander: small bunch

gochujang: 60g (4tbsp)

soy sauce: 2tbsp

noodles: 1 nest

lettuce leaves: 3-4

salt to taste

*this recipe is a single serving big bowl.  Increase or decrease as per requirement

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Recipe instructions

Heat two tbsp oil in a wok/pan and add in the chopped ginger, garlic and green onions. Cook until translucent and add in the mushrooms. Saute for a minute, add a few strands of coriander and add in water/stock. Sprinkle salt if needed.

Cover and let bubble for 5 minutes. Add in the gochujang paste and let it come to a boil before adding in the noodles. Let the noodles cook in the mushroomy broth.

Add to the serving bowl the chopped green onion tails and soy sauce. Layer with lettuce leaves and tip the contents of the cooked noodles in broth into the bowl.

Garnish with chopped coriander. Serve hot.

Enjoy!