Somen Noodle Soup With Mushrooms

By Sue Li

Updated March 26, 2025

Somen Noodle Soup With Mushrooms
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(1,924)
Comments
Read comments

The perfect salve for cold winter days, this vegetarian noodle soup can be cobbled together in an instant from the contents of a well-stocked kitchen. It takes its flavor from a quick bouillon using just four ingredients: soy sauce, sesame oil, scallions and shiitakes, which deliver a hefty, flavorful dose of glutamate. Poached eggs add richness to the clean and comforting broth. Fresh eggs have stronger, firmer albumen (egg whites) and will thus hold their shape better than older eggs, which have a tendency to unfurl. The main key to achieving that teardrop shape during poaching is allowing the eggs to simmer without disturbance until cooked.

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:2 servings
  • 2tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3scallions, trimmed, whites and greens separated and thinly sliced
  • 8ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
  • Kosher salt
  • 1medium bok choy (about 4 ounces), cut into bite-size pieces
  • 3tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2teaspoons toasted sesame oil, plus more for serving
  • 2bundles (about 7 ounces total) somen noodles, or any thin wheat or rice noodles
  • 2large eggs
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)

400 calories; 24 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 14 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 34 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 13 grams protein; 1457 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large saucepan of water to a simmer.

  2. Step 2

    Heat vegetable oil in a pot over medium. Add scallion whites and sliced mushrooms, season with salt and cook until browned, stirring occasionally, 5 to 6 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Add 3 cups water to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high. Add bok choy and cook until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Stir in soy sauce and 2 teaspoons sesame oil and season to taste with salt. Turn off heat and cover to keep warm.

  4. Step 4

    Meanwhile, cook somen according to package instructions in the simmering water in the saucepan. Using a slotted spoon or spider, divide the noodles among bowls, leaving the simmering water in the saucepan. Crack each egg into its own small bowl, discarding the shells. Swirl the simmering water in the saucepan, creating a vortex by stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs, one right after another, and cook over medium-low until the whites are set, about 3 minutes. Transfer eggs to noodle bowls using a slotted spoon.

  5. Step 5

    Ladle the reserved shiitake broth into the bowls. Top with sliced scallion greens, drizzle with sesame oil and serve.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

5 out of 5
1,924 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

curiouscook

Perfect soup for cold nights. I used miso-ginger broth from Trader Joe's instead of water which gave it a deeper flavor. I also used soft boiled eggs instead of the swirled eggs suggested in the recipe -just easier for me.

Chuck H.

A perfect soup for a zero degree night in Vermont. I suggest one addition to make it perfect. The broth is a slightly weak so I added some brown rice miso to the broth by mixing 3 teaspoons of miso with about three tablespoons of hot broth and poured into each bowl after serving. It makes it much more flavorful and authentic. Thanks for the recipe.

DJ!

I found the broth a little bland so added some vegetable base. I also cannot get the poached egg technique to work so I found a great shortcut - a coffee mug with 1/2 cup water- break the egg into the water and microwave for 30 sec - check and can add another 12 seconds if still not enough - you want the yolk to be shaky if you gently shake the mug. I have added anything from some leftover pork and chicken to matchstick carrots but MUST have the bok choy for that crunch and toasted sesame oil!

rose

I used baby bella mushrooms (no shiitakes in stores in the blizzard) and added miso as Chuck H. mentioned. Threw in some enoki mushrooms as well. I still found the broth a little bland but some shichimi togarashi (七味とがらし) made it perfect. great recipe for a cold night!

froggs

Disappointing and bland. I made it as written except used low-salt vegetable broth instead of water (following the tips here). I also added a little fresh ginger. Upon serving I topped it with scallions and chili crisp. I just couldn’t get this to be flavorful despite the shiitakes and scallions in the broth. Would not make again.

Name caroline

I would call this a great idea to riff on. (My turn to be one of those annoying reviewers that changes the recipe a lot first time.) This is a great basic place to start. Many others claim the broth is bland and use broth instead of water: Inised had chicken broth, half Pacific Miso broth. I also added the Japanese flavor base of sake, mirin, a little sugar, extra tamari, and about a teaspoon of Hondashi 😅. …aaand I put in about half a pound of sliced pork sirloin. All that with the toasted sesame oil made wonderful flavor, and do not skip the poached egg! Like I said, it’s a great canvas to experiment on. And so quick and easy, deeply fulfilling on a rainy February night.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.