Udon Noodle Soup

Chicken Udon Noodle Soup - made November 6, 2019, modified from Dishes Delish

I love udon noodles. They're thick and chewy and don't get mushy when cooked properly. And because they're so thick, they're hard to overcook.

Now that I'm cooking more, it occurred to me that I could make my own udon noodle soup. So I did.

However, this turned out to be a classic example that shows I'll never be a real "cook". Yes, I can follow savory recipes as well as dessert ones and I can put together reasonably simple recipes that turn out pretty well. But you know what marks a real cook? They taste as they go. Me, not so much. I'm a baker by nature and to me, that means following a recipe. I rarely taste batter or cookie dough. I wait until the final product comes out of the oven and judge accordingly.

That taste-buds-off process doesn't work as well when it comes to cooking since cooking is more about tasting and adjusting seasonings, depending on the flavor you're trying to achieve. I learned that lesson when I took my first few sips of this broth. The first sip seemed pretty tasty. The second sip was a bit salty. By the third sip, I was regretting not tasting it earlier so I could've cut back on the salty flavorings.

At least it was salty to my palate. Fortunately, with soup, the easy fix is to add more water which is what I did. So this turned out after all.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
4 cups chicken broth
18 ounces udon noodles
2 eggs

1. Fill small saucepan with enough water to cover 2 eggs. Add eggs and bring just to a boil. Turn off heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Peel.
2. Bring water in a large pot to a boil. Add noodles and bring to another boil. Cook for 10 minutes. Drain noodles and set aside.
3. Heat Dutch oven on medium heat. When hot, add oil. When oil is hot, add onion and saute until soft. Add garlic and ginger and saute until garlic is browned, 1 minute.
4. Add broth, soy sauce, vinegar and fish sauce; bring to a simmer.
5. Add noodles to serving bowl. Ladle soup over noodles and cut an egg in half to place in soup. Serve hot.