Udon Noodles with Sweet Miso Sauce

Udon Noodles with Sweet Miso Sauce by SeasonWithSpice.com

In my recent Radish Salad recipe, I had mentioned that when shopping for radishes, look for a bunch with fresh leafy tops. The fresher the better, because today we are going to incorporate not only the radishes, but their leafy greens into this recipe for Udon Noodles with Sweet Miso Sauce.

recipe with radish and radish greens

Magic happens when you cook up both radishes and radish greens. Radishes mellow out when cooked, so that the intense spiciness is tamed into just a peppery bite with a hint of sweetness.

The greens – packed with calcium, iron, and vitamins – immediately soak up the flavor of the sauce in the dish, as they just begin to wilt when heated.

Udon Noodles with Sweet Miso Sauce recipe by SeasonWithSpice.com

In this recipe for Udon Noodles with Sweet Miso Sauce, both radishes and its gorgeous greens are sautéed with fresh chopped garlic and butter. Then quickly combined with cooked udon, and a simple miso sauce made from a mix of white miso, rice vinegar, mirin (or rice wine), water, and toasted sesame oil.

Udon Noodles with Sweet Miso Sauce recipe by SeasonWithSpice.com

One of the joys of summer is finding new ways to enjoy all the fresh vegetables in season. So in addition to radishes for this dish, you can also toss in other vegetables such as thinly shredded napa cabbage, leek, carrot and your choice of mushrooms (shiitake, cremini, or white enoki all work great). For extra protein, feel free to add in some tofu too. 

When the Udon Noodles with Sweet Miso Sauce is ready to serve, top the dish with our Japanese Sesame Seasoning for some extra crunch and flavor.

Udon Noodles with Sweet Miso Sauce 
By Season with Spice
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients: 
2 servings of dried udon noodles
1.5 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic – minced
1 large bunch of radishes (thinly sliced) & radish greens (coarsely chopped)
2 tbsp of Season with Spice’s Japanese Sesame Seasoning

Sweet Miso Sauce: 
2.5 tbsp white miso
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp mirin
1/4 cup water
A splash of toasted sesame oil

Method: 
1. Cook udon noodles according to the package instructions, or until al dente. When cooked, rinse under cold water and then set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the miso sauce. Set aside.
3. In a large frying pan, heat butter over medium-low heat until melted. Add in the chopped garlic, and cook until fragrant – about a minute.
4. Add in the thinly sliced radishes and cook over medium-high heat. When the radishes begin to soften, add in the radish greens. Give it a quick stir. When the greens just begin to wilt, add in the cooked noodles and miso sauce. Toss everything gently together. When the sauce thickens and the greens are just wilted, remove from heat.
5. Transfer to your serving plates. Top with our Japanese Sesame Seasoning. Enjoy!

Notes: 
1. Be careful not to overcook the noodles. Japanese noodles such as udon, ramen, and soba will continue to cook after you remove them from the heat, so give the cooked noodles a good rinse under cold water to keep the texture al dente.
2. To make storage easier, separate the radish greens from the radishes once you bring them home. Wash and store the greens in the refrigerator. Very fresh radish greens can be kept at least 3-4 days.