Accessible Udon

If you've ever had udon soup at a Japanese restaurant, you know how hearty and soul-warming it can be. You probably also have a tough time picking out what it's made of, and wouldn't try making it at home. But I took on that challenge and, again, made it up! :) This is easy, great for feeding a big family or a bunch of friends, or even freezing for nights when the snow makes you crave it. There are a few options, and I'll give you 3 alternatives to this one at the end. The standard, for me anyway, is seafood. Start with udon noodles. You can find them in the Asian aisle of the supermarket. Dry are fine, just boil them like spaghetti. But if you like the chewy heartiness of traditional udon, get it in a plastic package near the ramen noodles, or occasionally the frozen section. That's a photo of the kind I get-- it comes in a package of three pouches. Use 2 large cartons of stock, usually seafood or vegetable. Get a head of bok choy (not baby) or a bunch of celery, slice into big chunks and toss in the stock on medium heat. Include the leaves. The other ingredient you likely don't have in your pantry already is fish sauce. It's...intense. You only need a little, so don't let it scare you. It smells like... essence of fish. Which it is. Also found in the Asian section. Now's the creative part. I like to use crab (actually, I usually use the fake kind, made of surimi, which is a whitefish-derived protein. just use the chunk style and not the stick style, because the sticks will unravel), shrimp, scallops, and calamari. Saute the seafood a bit in oil or butter just to get a little color on them. Then toss them in with your noodles, veggies, and stock. Add about a tablespoon of fish sauce, and two of soy sauce. Let it cook for a couple of minutes, then taste the soup. Need salt? Add more soy sauce (it blends much better than adding salt). Need spice and heat? Add a pinch of crushed red pepper flake. Let it cook, on low heat, for about 20 minutes to let everything combine. Big bowls on a cold day will warm you all the way through. Traditionally, it's served with a tempura shrimp on top, but that's up to you. Now for the options:
1. Veggie-only: Use veggie stock. With the bok choy and (instead of "or") celery, add mushrooms (shiitake, cremini, button, and/or king oyster), baby corn, bamboo shoots, scallions, and minced garlic instead of the seafood. Saute together and add to soup once the stock is hot. Skip the fish sauce, and add kombu dashi, which is made from seaweed and can be found at a Japanese specialty market.
2. Chicken: Use chicken stock. Cut chicken into chunks, white or dark meat as you like. Skip the fish sauce and add 2 tablespoons of butter and a sprig of thyme and one bay leaf. Make sure to remove the bay leaf and the twig of thyme when finished. When the soup is ready, heat it up quickly to high heat, and crack in 2 eggs, and cover. In 8-10 minutes, you're ready to serve.
3. Beef: Use beef stock. Cut beef into chunks, across the grain. Add a bunch of scallions to the bok choy or celery. Instead of fish sauce, add the same amount of worcestershire sauce.