This gently spiced vegan noodle soup is full of bright fresh flavours and topped with rich umami mushrooms

Noodle soup is something I’ve been making for so long now but never got round to doing a proper recipe.  I love it because it’s very easy – VERY easy – but so full of flavour.  It makes the most delicious lunch that can be packed into a thermos and enjoyed anywhere.  I don’t really go anywhere so it makes a great desk lunch too 😉

February is turning out to be just as cold as January so this noodle bowl is perfect at the moment.  It’s healthy, warming and filling but full of bright, fresh flavour.  With the extra toppings there’s a tonne of texture too.  Slurp.  Crunch.  Repeat.

Side question.  What do you do when you eat?  I’m trying to be more mindful when eating.  Less distraction more attentive eating.  But I struggle.  I normally read while eating.  Currently reading Richard Osman’s latest.  Such good writing.  Any tips to break the habit of needing to do something else while eating?

Pho inspiration

I got the original idea for making this from seeing a pho recipe on my food travels.  Pho is a Vietnamese noodle dish that usually consists of broth, rice noodles, spices and thinly sliced meat.  Making a vegan version my immediate thought was to use ‘meaty’ mushrooms with their rich umami flavour.  Also, a traditional pho (pronounced “fuh” like “duh”!) can, however, take several hours to make.

I still wanted to build in layers of flavour and have something that whilst most definitely was not a traditional pho, at least had some of the basics.

Vegetable broth – for speed I’ve used a vegan bouillon base.  A traditional pho recipe uses bones to make the broth and is cooked over several hours.  This dish could only be made better by making your own vegetable stock – a lovely Slow Sunday project perhaps?  But I’m generally in a hurry when it comes to food – unless it’s homemade bread of course – so I went for convenience.  I did add extra vegetables to the broth as it was heating and reducing, imparting a generous extra level of flavour.

Mushrooms – chestnut mushrooms are my mushroom of general choice.  Here I’ve sautéed them in sesame oil before adding even more umami flavour with soy sauce and miso paste.

Rice noodles – a gluten free favourite, these are cooked in the finished broth.

Beansprouts – love these healthy little buggers for so many dishes, not just Asian inspired ones (shhh, they often find their way into my sandwiches!)

Water chestnuts – never understood why people leave these when eating their Chinese takeaway. I love them!  They have a very slight tart flavour but I also love the fresh crunch they give to this noodle soup.

How to make this easy noodle soup:

Start with the broth.  To the vegetable bouillon and water add a sliced onion, some crushed garlic and grated ginger and a few spring onion trimmings.  Bubble these together for 15-20 minutes until reduced slightly.  This intensifies the flavour.

While the broth is bubbling cook the mushrooms.  Heat a little sesame oil in a frying pan or skillet then add the thickly sliced mushrooms.  Keep the heat fairly high and stir or toss the pan frequently until the mushrooms are lovely and golden.

Stir in the soy sauce, miso and 5 spice to coat the mushrooms.

Strain the broth through a fine sieve and return to the pan.  Add the noodles, stirring to break them up and cook according to packet instructions.

Spoon the broth and noodles into warmed bowls, top with the mushrooms, beansprouts and water chestnut slices.  Top with sliced spring onion.

So yum!!

Looking for even more vegan noodle recipes?  Try these:

Tofu Stir Fry

Udon Noodles with Black Garlic and King Oyster Mushrooms

Garlic Sesame Noodles

Instant Pot Vegetable Chow Mein

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