Name: Udon with Mushroom Broth, Cabbage, and Yams
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: 10 cups Light Vegetable Broth or good-quality canned vegetable broth (such as Swanson); 3 cups water; 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh cilantro; 1 1/2 ounces dried shiitake mushrooms, rinsed; 3/4 cup thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger; 2 lemongrass stalks, outer dark layers removed, all but bottom 4 inches cut off and discarded; 2 6-inch strips dried kombu; 2 teaspoons tamari soy sauce; 1 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar; 2 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled yams (red-skinned sweet potatoes); 5 ounces snow peas, trimmed; 4 cups 1/2-inch-wide crosswise slices cored Napa cabbage; 5 ounces slender carrots (preferably assorted colors), peeled, thinly sliced on diagonal; 10 ounces Japanese-style udon noodles or soba noodles; 1 cup sliced green onions; 1/4 cup matchstick-size strips peeled fresh ginger; 4 to 6 ounces semi-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (optional); Sambal oelek; Tamari soy sauce

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Udon with Mushroom Broth, Cabbage, and YamsStephen Lewis

A Japanese-style noodle soup that's full of healthful things: mushrooms, yams, carrots—and even salty, savory, vitamin-and mineral-rich seaweed. For details on the ingredients used in this dish, see "Ingredient Tips" at the end of the recipe.

Ingredient tips:

Lemongrass, an herb that resembles a green onion, has a mild lemony flavor. Kombu (a.k.a. kelp) is a variety of seaweed thats often used for making stock. It's usually sold dried. Tamari is a dark sauce made from soybeans. Udon is a thick wheat-or corn-based Japanese noodle. Sambal oelek, a spicy chili sauce, is a common ingredient in Indonesian and Chinese cooking. Look for these ingredients in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets and at Asian markets.

Recipe notes

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Recipe notes

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