RECIPE: Venison & Veggie Udon Noodle Soup
This simple and filling Japanese-style soup makes the most out of each ingredient, delivering clean flavors that go beautifully together. We recommend using dashi - the classic Japanese staple - to achieve the most authentic flavor for your broth. You can either make your own from kombu seaweed and bonito flakes (readily available in Asian grocery stores or online) or use the much more convenient dashi "tea bags." Fresh, frozen, or dried udon noodles all work well in this recipe.
Mark Cockcroft
Ingredients
- 1 pack Maui Nui stew chunks, cut into roughly equal 1" pieces
- 8 cups dashi broth (prepared from dashi stock), Maui Nui bone broth, or low sodium beef or chicken broth
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1/2 lb shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced in half if large
- 6 quarter sized slices of ginger (from a roughly 2" thumb-sized knob)
- 1/4 cup soy souce
- 1/4 cup mirin
- 1/4 cup sake (optional)
- 1 cup diced winter squash (kabocha or butternut work as well)
- 1 cup diced daikon radish
- 1 bunch spinach, rinsed and trimmed
- 4 servings udon noodles
- 2 udon noodles
DIRECTIONS
In a large stock pot, bring the dashi to a simmer.
Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 Tbsp of the oil. When the pan is hot, add the mushrooms and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the remaining Tbsp of oil to the skillet and then add the venison in a single layer. Brown on all sides and then add to the simmering dashi.
Add the ginger, soy sauce, mirin, and sake (if using) to the dashi and return to a simmer. Cover and simmer, adjusting heat as necessary, for 30 minutes.
Add the reserved shiitake mushrooms and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes. Check the meat for tenderness every 15 minutes. When almost tender add the squash and daikon radish, and simmer for another 15 minutes.
Prepare the noodles according to the package directions. When cooked, divide into 4 bowls.
Add the spinach to the stock pot and cook for another 5 minutes until wilted.
Taste the broth for seasoning, adding soy sauce as necessary. Ladle meat, vegetables, and hot broth into the bowls over the noodles, discarding the ginger slices. Sprinkle with scallions and serve immediately. Enjoy!