Japanese Chicken udon soup

A couple of years ago, I went for cooking lessons at ABC Cooking Studio when they opened their outlet at Westgate. One of the dishes I learnt was Chicken Udon Soup, which has gone on to become a family favourite and it a quick meal to make. Of course, this recipe will deviate from what ABC Cooking School taught because I love shortcuts. It's still an enjoyable dish. The original recipe calls for handmade Udon noodles, however, lazy me tries to get away with store bought udon instead. 

I shared this recipe with neighbours in a cooking workshop and they told us that it made them miss Japan after they tried this dish. So it is proven to be good. 

 Ingredients: 

• 3 pieces of Chicken thigh - chopped in pieces
• 100g enoki mushrooms
• 5cm worth of daikon, cut into slices half cm thick
• 1 stalk of Japanese leek - cut into 3inches
• 3 pieces of udon
• 5 stalk of Tang-oh (crown daisy)
• 1 flat tablespoon of Dashi powder
• 4 mugs of water

Sauces

• 3 tablespoons of Mirin
• 2 tablespoons of Sake
• 1 tablespoon of oil
• 5 tablespoons of less sodium Kikkoman Japanese soy sauce

Procedure

• In a pot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil, place cut Japanese leek into the pan and like it cook until parts of the leek is brown. 
• Place the pieces of chicken thigh into the pot, skin side down to let it brown, then continue to cook each pieces on it's side to sear in the juices.
• Take out the pieces of chicken and set aside.
• Place the Daikon into the pot with leeks still inside.
• Add about 4 mugs of water into the pot and let it boil
• Add Dashi powder and sauces into the pot 

• Take out a separate pot and boil water with it, place the udon inside to cook til al dente. Take out noodles and strain with a sieve to remove all the excess liquid. Put the noodles either in your serving bowls.

• Add the chicken back into the soup as well as enoki and tang oh to boil for about 15mins.
• Turn of the heat and scoop ingredients as well as soup into the bowls of udon noodles. 
• Serve hot!

Alternatives:

Somen can replace Udon

Water spinach can replace Tang oh

Sources: 

All ingredients listed here can be purchased in Donki Donki

Nutritional value:

Chicken: Protein, Niacin, Selenium and phosphorus

Daikon: Vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, potassium and folate

Crown daisy: Vitamin C, calcium, potassium and dietary fiber