Chilled Tanuki Udon

Method4 steps · about 15 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Soak all ½ tablespoon dry wakame in separate water for about 10 minutes, until rehydrated, then drain. Prepare all ½ cup shelled edamame according to its package so it is cooked and ready to eat; if already cooked and frozen, microwave until defrosted. Rinse with separate cold water and drain. Cut the one cucumber into thin matchsticks, slice the one scallion and halve both grape tomatoes (2). Keep all these prepared toppings for stage 4; discard the soaking and rinse water.

   Hydrate wakame about 10 minutes · 10 minUses ½ tablespoon dried wakame, measured dry before hydration · 1/2 cup shelled edamame · 1 Japanese cucumber, cut into thin matchsticks · 1 scallion, sliced · 2 grape tomatoes · Separate water as needed to soak wakame and rinse prepared edamame; discard

2. 2

   Step 2: Bring separate noodle-cooking water to a boil. Cook ONE portion of the chosen udon according to its package, until tender through the center. The author’s approximate guides are 3–5 minutes for frozen, 8–10 for semidried or 10–12 for dried noodles; the actual package and tenderness control the time. Drain, rinse with separate water and chill in a separate bowl of cold water and ice. Drain the chilled noodles before assembly; none of this cooking, rinse or bath water is the measured broth water.

   Uses 1 portion udon noodles, frozen OR dried, before cooking · Separate water as needed to boil and rinse udon; discard · Separate cold water as needed for the noodle ice bath; drain · Ice as needed for the noodle chilling bath; discard with the bath water

3. 3

   Step 3: Mix all ¼ cup ready vegan mentsuyu with ¼–⅓ cup of the separate measured broth water. Start within this range and adjust dilution to taste and the concentration of your mentsuyu; keep it slightly stronger if using serving ice because the ice will dilute it.

   Uses 1/4 cup vegan mentsuyu (Japanese Noodle Soup Base) · 1/4-1/3 cup water

4. 4

   Step 4: Optionally put 2–3 serving ice cubes in one bowl. Add the entire chilled and drained udon portion from stage 2, all the actual prepared wakame, cooked edamame, cucumber, scallion and tomatoes from stage 1, and all 3 tablespoons ready vegan tempura bits. Pour over the complete diluted mentsuyu from stage 3. Garnish with optional pickled ginger and sesame seeds, and serve immediately as one cold bowl.

   Uses 2–3 ice cubes for the serving bowl, optional · Complete cooked chilled and drained udon portion · Complete hydrated drained wakame · Complete cooked cooled and drained edamame · Complete cut cucumber scallion and grape-tomato topping batch · 3 tablespoons ready vegan agedama/tenkasu (cooked tempura bits) · Complete diluted vegan mentsuyu broth · pickled ginger for garnish, optional