Kabocha-Udon Winter Stew

Broth:
2 quarts cold water
2 pieces kombu
1/3 cup shoyu (soy sauce)
2 tsp sugar
1/2 oz dried shiitakes (4-5 shiitakes)
2 1/4inch thick slices ginger crushed with the back of knife
Stew:
1/2 lb noodles
1 large leek (I used an onion because I didn't have a leek) sliced into 1/2 inch sections
1 large carrot sliced into 1/2 inch slices
1 1/2 to 2lb kabucha or buttercup squash unpeeled by seeded and cubed
6-12 oz of silken firm tofu
1/3 cup sake and 2 tbsp mirin (I had neither so used sherry.. it worked well)
2 scallions sliced very thin

Add all broth ingredients together, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove kombu, ginger, and mushrooms. Once cooled slice mushrooms thinly and add back to broth. Meanwhile cook udon according to package directions. Drain and put aside noodles. Add onion, carrot, squash, and tofu to stew boil and simmer for 25 minutes until squash is tender. stir in sherry or sake/mirin. Put serving of noodles in a bowl and add stew over it. Enjoy! Makes 8 small servings.

Number of Servings: 8

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user VERITASLATEO.