Recipe: Udon Noodles with Prawn, Shiitake Mushroom and Tomato Broth

Winter is here and there's nothing like tucking into a bowl of hot slurpy udon noodles. I made the broth with prawn heads and shells and shiitake mushroom soaking water. Not only are shiitake mushrooms delicious, they are full of health benefits too. They are known to boost your immunity, lower blood cholesterol and is a good source of iron.

This was how I made my noodles tonight.

Serves one.

1 x 200g udon
2 prawns, unpeeled
2 dried shiitake mushrooms
1/2 tomato diced
3 cubes fish tofu
Bok choy (optional, but its always nice to add some extra veggies to your meal)
Salt to taste

Wash and soak mushrooms in 3/4 cup hot water until soft. When the mushrooms are soft, trim the stems and pour the soaking water in a pot. Peel the prawns and add the heads and the shells to the pot. Keep the prawns themselves for later.

Add one more cup of water. Bring to the boil and add your diced tomato. Keep on a medium heat, or low heat if the water is evaporating too quickly.

While the broth is simmering, cook the noodles in another pot according to the packet. I like to rinse my noodles afterwards to remove any preservatives. So just tip the noodles into a colander or sieve and wash it under tap water. Pour out the water that you used to cook the noodles, add fresh water and boil the bok choy.

By now the flavour from the prawn heads and mushrooms would have been extracted, add the peeled prawns, fish tofu, and salt to taste. When the prawns are half cooked, add the noodles. Bring the broth back to a boil. When the prawns are fully cooked, pour everything into a bowl and dinner is served.