Soba Noodle Soup with Chicken and Shiitake

This is a simple, light and healthy(!) soup that can be thrown together without too much fuss. We used dried shiitake soaked for about 30 minutes in hot water. Also, I couldn't get my hands on soba noodles without an extra trip, so we used udon noodles that we had lying around instead.

The is a real nice, clean, simple balance to the flavors here which really do credit to Japanese cooking, I think. I am looking forward to eating the rest of this in a few days.

2x150 g large chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
1 tablespoon tamari or light soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
1 tablespoon sake
1 tablespoon sesame oil, plus extra to toss
freshly ground black pepper
1.5 liters CHICKEN STOCK
1 piece of kombu (Japanese dried kelp), lightly rinsed
3cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
2-3 tablespoons miso paste
200 g soba noodles (Japanese buckwheat noodles)
150 g shiitake mushrooms, stems trimmed and top scored
4 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, to sprinkle

First, marinate the chicken. Cut the chicken breasts across the grain into thin slices. Place in a bowl and add the tamari, mirin, sake, sesame oil and a generous grinding of black pepper. Give the chicken a good stir to ensure every piece is coated. Cover with clingfilm and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or preferably overnight.

For the soup base, pour the chicken stock into a medium pan and add the kombu. Bring to a simmer, cover the pan with a lid and cook gently for 5-10 minutes. Fish out and discard the kombu, which will have imparted a lovely savory flavor to the stock. Add the ginger and stir in the miso paste. Simmer for another 3-5 minutes.

When ready to serve, bring a pot of water to the boil for the noodles. Add the mushrooms to the simmering stock and cook for two minutes, then add the chicken strips. Cook until the chicken is just opaque throughout, about 1-1 1/2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Cover the pan with a lid and turn the heat down as low as possible.

Add the noodles to the pan of boiling water and cook until tender but still retaining a slight bite, about 3-4 minutes. Drain and immediately toss with a little sesame oil. Divide between warn soup bowls and scatter over the spring onions. Ladle the hot soup over the noodles, making sure that you divide the chicken and mushrooms evenly. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve at once.