Sweet Miso Udon From Love & Lemons

Every week, we’re spotlighting a different food blogger who’s shaking up the blogosphere with tempting recipes and knockout photography. Below, Jeanine Donofrio of Love & Lemons shares her sweet miso udon recipe, inspired by her travels in Japan.

Sweet Miso Udon
Serves 2 people as a main dish, and 4 as an appetizer

My husband Jack has been requesting udon ever since we got back from Japan (over a year ago), so finally, tonight, udon he got. This is not traditional udon—and that’s my disclaimer. I would love to be able to say that we went to Japan and came home able to share something remotely authentic. The truth is that we pointed to things on menus and just hoped that no one would put something in front of me that was still moving. (Jack, on the other hand, is OK with food that still moves).

This dish was inspired by a foggy, distant memory of a dish we ate on a dark, cold, rainy night in Tokyo. We were at this restaurant where their entire menu was based around Japanese leeks. (Neat concept, right?) They served an udon dish that I remember as one of my favorites of the trip—it was sweet and salty, and a light, glistening, golden brown. And that’s about all I can remember about it, except for how quickly I polished it off.

I should also mention that I added a few extras that were not part of the memory… tofu to make it a full meal with protein, neat hon shimeji mushrooms that popped up at my store, and some chopped nori because I just like it.

Sweet miso mixture:

2 Tbsp. white miso paste
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. mirin

3-4 oz. dried udon noodles (If gluten free, use rice noodles)
1 tsp. butter
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
4 oz. mushrooms of your choice, chopped (I used hon shimejis)
3-4 scallions, chopped (Both whites and greens, kept separate from one another)
Salt, to taste
7 oz. firm tofu, chopped into small cubes
3/4 cup water or broth (as needed)
1/2 sheet of nori, cut into thin slices (Kitchen scissors work best)
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds, lightly toasted

Make sweet miso mixture. In a small saucepan, combine miso paste, sugar, and mirin. Bring to a gentle boil, turn heat down and simmer for 2-3 minutes, whisking continuously. The mixture should bubble a bit, but don’t let it burn. Set aside.

Meanwhile, fill a pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook udon according to package directions. In a separate medium pot or saucepan, heat butter until melted. Add garlic, ginger, mushrooms, scallion whites and a pinch of salt, and saute until mushrooms are cooked down.

Add tofu and cook another couple of minutes. Add cooked noodles (if you can time this well, add them right from the boiling water so the excess water will help to create the sauce). Add the sweet miso mixture, 2 tablespoons at a time, and taste. You might not use all of it depending on how light or sweet/rich you prefer your meal. If necessary, add water or broth to thin the sauce to your desired consistency.

Turn heat off and stir in half the scallion greens, nori, and sesame seeds. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Portion into bowls and top with the remaining scallion greens, nori and sesame seeds.

More noodle dishes to try:

A classic creamy mushroom pasta

Macaroni and cheese that doesn’t even require a recipe

A Southern take on an Italian winter risotto

Have your travels ever inspired you in the kitchen? Tell us below!