RECIPE: Hiyashi Miso Udon (Chilled Udon Noodles with Miso Sauce)

Try this cool, refreshing hiyashi miso udon recipe on a hot summer day! The combination of chilled, grounding udon noodles and invigorating yuzu miso flavors will be sure to rejuvenate your senses!

Hiyashi is a Japanese term meaning chilled and is used to refer to many chilled Japanese noodle dishes. Many people may think of Japanese noodles in their hot, soup forms but there is a whole new side to explore when eating noodles cold! Japanese people often eat chilled noodle dishes in the warmer months of year and hot noodle dishes in colder months. Hiyashi noodle dishes are perfect for the warm weather in your part of the world!

Udon noodles can be found at many grocery stores around the world but we recommend trying this dish with the 5 grain beauty udon. Udon typically is made with one wheat flour but this udon is unique in that it has 5 grains! This not only provides intricate flavors and textures to this dish but also benefits you with healthy whole grains not found in typical udon noodles.

Another unique ingredient in this recipe is the yuzu miso. Yuzu is a popular citrus fruit in Japan and is best described as a combination of an orange, lemon, and grapefruit. Japanese people use yuzu in many products, from desserts to marmalades to this miso! The combination of the fresh yuzu with the umami miso adds the depth of flavor key to this summer noodle dish.

The umami yuzu miso combined with sweet and mellow soy sauce are the secret foundational ingredients to this intricate noodle sauce!

This Hiyashi Miso Udon recipe creates a deliciously fresh and earthy flavor with its combination of the udon, yuzu miso, and ginger. You will love the mix of flavors and umami undertone!

Serves 2 

Ingredients:

• 6oz uncooked udon noodles (we recommend 5 grain beauty udon)
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 3 tbsp yuzu miso*
• 2 tbsp soy sauce*
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp maple syrup (add 1 additional tsp if you like a sweeter sauce)
• 1 small Japanese cucumber (or English cucumber with seeds removed), cut into matchsticks
• Toasted sesame seeds (optional)

* Available in our Creative Beginnings: Redefining "Wa" Care Package of Japanese cooking essentials.

Instructions:

1. Cook the udon noodles according to the package directions. Then drain the water and rinse the noodles to remove any extra starch. Put the noodles in a bowl of ice water to chill.

2. Mix the onion, ginger, yuzu miso, soy sauce, mirin, and maple syrup together in a small saucepan. Heat the sauce over medium heat. Just as the sauce beings to boil, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and let the sauce cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

3. Drain the noodles completely and divide them between two plates/bowls. Top the noodles with cucumber matchsticks, then spoon the miso sauce over the top. Garnish with toasted white sesame seeds, if desired. Serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of Rachael Hutchings, www.lafujimama.com

La Fuji Mama, is a website focused on bringing world flavors to the family dinner table. Rachael Hutchings, author of La Fuji Mama, has eaten her way around the world, having lived in a variety of fun food locations, including Paris, Tokyo, Yokohama, Memphis, and Los Angeles. She features recipes that are a fusion of different tastes, influenced by the variety of places she has lived and visited, and the people she has met. You could say that her food has global roots with a local homegrown accent. Rachael believes that food shouldn’t be dumbed down for children, and shares ways with her readers on how they can make the time they spend in the kitchen and at the dinner table be a delicious educational experience for the whole family. Rachael is a self-proclaimed Japanese cuisine advocate and loves introducing people to the wonders of homemade tofu, packing bentos (Japanese lunchboxes), and onigiri (Japanese rice balls). Rachael lives with her husband and three children in Lehi, Utah.

Introduction courtesy of Kimberlee Laney

As a Japanese-Korean-American, my love for Japanese food first came from my grandmother's kitchen! Japanese food feels like home and I love being able to cook it anywhere in the world to connect with Japan in my own little way. I love diving deep into the layers of Japanese food and always marvel at the food diversity between prefectures. I'm currently eating my way through Tokyo and taking up photography with my Instagram account @capturingkim!