This mushroom recipe will no doubt suit more traditional Japanese noodle lovers. This subtle mushroom-flavoured miso broth is spiked with a little chilli and accompanied with wilted choy sum for extra flavour. Serve with soy sauce on the side.

Ingredients

• 2 tblsp white miso paste
• 2 cups hot water
• 2 tblsp oil
• 250 grams Swiss brown mushrooms, sliced
• 100 grams small shiitake mushrooms, halved
• 1 tblsp sesame oil
• 1 red chilli, sliced
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• 1 bunch choy sum (see cook’s tip)
• 100 grams oyster mushrooms
• 270 gram packet somen noodles

Method

1. Heat the miso paste and water together in a large saucepan and keep warm.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan and quickly pan fry the Swiss brown and shiitake mushrooms. When well-browned, transfer to the miso soup. Heat the sesame oil in the pan and pan fry the oyster mushrooms until they just wilt. Set aside.
3. To the frying pan add the chilli, garlic, spring onions and toss quickly for about 1 minute until fragrant. Transfer to the miso soup mixture and add the choy sum leaves. Keep warm and only allow the choy sum to wilt.
4. Cook the noodles in boiling salted water for 2 minutes or until tender. Drain well and arrange the hot noodles in 4 bowls. Ladle the hot mushroom soup mixture on top and garnish with the panfried oyster mushrooms. Serve immediately.

Cooks Tips

With the choy sum, separate the small leaves and flowering stems out, trimming the stalks. For the large leaves, cut away the coarse stems and cut the leaves into chunky pieces, so that all the choy sum will cook at the same time.