How to make vegetarian Korean noodle soup inspired by Kang’s Kitchen

This vegetarian dish was inspired by something I saw being made on South Korean travel-reality show Kang’s Kitchen. The healthy and light but hearty bowl of noodles is quick and easy to make. I don’t speak Korean, nor can I read it, so I might be wrong about the ingredients they used. But, when I recreated the dish, I know the resultwas delicious because Jonathan Wong, the photographer, ate an entire bowl after the shoot.

The dish can be made vegan by omitting the egg crepe. Like many soups, this one depends on a good broth. But vegetarian broths can be insipid, so I use my trusty standby: dashi bags. I always have a variety of these umami-rich instant broth bags (they look like tea bags) in my pantry; for this one, use a vegetarian version, usually made of dried mushrooms and other vegetables. Follow the directions on the packet, which will tell you how much water to use for a strong dashi stock; it is usually about 250ml for each bag.

Abura-age is Japanese deep-fried bean curd – it is the type that can be stuffed with rice or other ingredients. It is sold in packs. Japanese leeks are more tender and slightly smaller than European leeks. Edible chrysanthemum leaves, also known as crown daisy, are sold in Korean, Japanese and Chinese vegetable shops.

When most people hear the word “nori”, they think of the thin, shiny sheets of seaweed that are used to make maki sushi (rolls) or onigiri (rice balls), or finely shredded and put on rice and cold noodles, and used in furikake (rice sprinkles). Those types are too thin for this dish and will wilt too quickly in the hot broth. If possible, buy the frilly, uneven shreds of roasted nori that resemble large, dark green (or green-black) tea leaves.

If you are going to serve kimchi and banchan (side dishes) with these noodles, be sure they are vegetarian – some producers add fish sauce and/or seafood.

Vegetarian korean noodle soup

2 eggs (omit for a vegan version)
Cooking oil, as necessary
10 grams sesame seeds
1 Japanese leek
8 spring onions
2 pieces abura-age (Japanese fried bean curd)
2 handfuls chrysanthemum leaves
150-200 grams Korean or Japanese fresh thin wheat noodles
3 vegetarian dashi bags
2 small handfuls roasted nori shreds

1 Whisk the eggs in a bowl. Heat a wok or well-seasoned large skillet over a medium-high flame, then pour in about 5ml of cooking oil and use a paper towel to rub it into the metal to coat it lightly. Add half the whisked egg into the wok (or skillet) and immediately tilt and swirl the pan so the egg coats it in a thin layer. (It’s fine if it’s not evenly round, because it’s going to be shredded anyway.)