Fellow noodle lovers! Get ready to wrap your fork (or chopsticks) around this Japanese Noodles with Shimeji Mushroom dish that’s sure to become your new favorite comfort food. Whether you’re a fan of Japanese udon noodles or soba, this recipe aims to tangle them up with earthy shimeji mushrooms (or any kind of mushroom), in a bath of miso-infused sauce that’s so savory, you won’t know what to do with yourself. Looking to explore authentic Japanese cuisine right from your kitchen? You’re in the right place!
And for those skeptics who think spaghetti can’t be in a Japanese dish, I dare you to try this recipe. The miso paste works with almost noodle you can throw at it.
Here’s What You’ll Learn:
- 20-minute easy Japanese mushroom noodle dish
- Use any type of mushrooms
- Use any type of pasta or noodles
Why This Japanese Noodle Recipe Works:
- Simplicity Meets Flavor: With just a few key ingredients like garlic cloves, umami-packed miso paste, and shimeji mushrooms, this dish proves you don’t need a billion ingredients to make something mouthwateringly good.
- Flexibility in Your Pantry: Whether you’ve got soba noodles, buckwheat noodles, or even instant ramen noodles lying around, this recipe is WILL make you forget your table manners.
- A Lesson in Japanese Cuisine: This dish an great introduction meal to authentic Japanese flavors. From the use of sesame oil to the sprinkle of sesame seeds on top of the noodles, every element introduces you to the staples of a Japanese pantry.
- Perfect Texture: Cooking the noodles al dente and the mushrooms to golden brown perfection ensures a delightful contrast in every bite. And with the step-by-step instructions, achieving that perfect texture is a breeze.
Ingredients
- Dried Japanese style noodles (udon or soba…or you could use spaghetti)
- olive oil (or other cooking oil)
- garlic
- shimeji mushrooms
- soy sauce
- miso paste
- salt and pepper
- parsley
How to Make this Japanese Noodles Dish
- Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package instructions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over a low heat and add the garlic cloves. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Turn up the heat and add the shimeji mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms are soft. Lower the heat and add a ladleful of cooking water from the noodles, the soy sauce, and the miso paste. Stir until the miso is dissolved well. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and bring the sauce to simmer.
- Drain the noodles and add them to the sauce. Stir well to coat every noodle and serve with chopped parsley.
FAQ
Can I substitute shimeji mushrooms with other types of mushrooms if I can’t find them at my local grocery store?
Yes, you can substitute them with almost any mushroom, including oyster mushrooms, button mushrooms, or even beech mushrooms. Each fungi will add its own unique flavor and texture to the dish.
What are some vegetarian options for this recipe?
Fortunately, it’s already vegetarian! What makes this dish so great are the rich flavors of miso paste, mushrooms, and vegetables. For an added protein boost, consider topping your noodles with tofu.
Are there any good cooking tips for making this noodle dish?
One tip for Japanese cooking, especially when making noodle dishes, is to make sure your ingredients are prepped and ready to go (a French concept known as “mise en place”). Cooking often happens quickly, especially the stir fry part over medium-high heat. Also, using a decent amount of olive oil or sesame oil can help to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
Can this recipe be adapted into a soba noodle salad for warmer weather?
Absolutely! For a more refreshing take, you can serve the noodles cold with a soy sauce-based salad dressing. Add fresh vegetables like snap peas, green onions, or spring onions for a crunchy texture.
Where can I find authentic Japanese miso and other ingredients if I don’t live near an Asian grocery store?
Many ingredients can be found at local supermarkets in the international aisle, but for authentic Japanese miso and the like, online stores like the Rice Factory New York offer a great selection. They can provide high-quality, authentic ingredients to your dish.
As promised, here is the start of my Japanese Mushroom Recipe Collection. The first recipe I made was a super-simple noodle dish that came from one of my favorite Japanese cookbooks – The Japanese Kitchen by Kimiko Barber.
For my photos, I used a mixture of these two Japanese Shimeji mushrooms:
Though, if you don’t have access to Shimeji mushrooms, you can always substitute with sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms or enoki mushrooms.
Japanese Noodles with Shimeji Mushroom Recipe
Ingredients
- 7 ounces dried Japanese style noodles (udon or soba...or you could use spaghetti)
- 1/2 cup olive oil (or other cooking oil)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 ounces shimeji mushrooms, base discarded, mushrooms separated
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons miso paste
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons finely minced parsley
Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package instructions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over a low heat and add the garlic cloves. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Turn up the heat and add the shimeji mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms are soft. Lower the heat and add a ladleful of cooking water from the noodles, the soy sauce, and the miso paste. Stir until the miso is dissolved well. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and bring the sauce to simmer.
- Drain the noodles and add them to the sauce. Stir well to coat every noodle and serve with chopped parsley.
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a review in the comment section! I always appreciate your feedback and I know other readers do, too!
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Awesome and easy. My husband also loved it.
As others have mentioned, the amount of oil has a typo or something, I used about 2 T of oil. I also used less water than called for. I did not have green onions, so for garnish I chopped some Thai basil that I had. The basil really did bring the recipe home.
I was digging around in my noodle collection and managed to find some Japanese Somen noodles. I think the recipe would have been very good if you only had angle hair pasta also.
So simple, so good! Because of what we had on hand, I had to make a couple of adjustments. No miso, so I used about 1/3 of a packet of miso seasoning from a packet of Sapporo Ichiban instant noodles and, since I had some fresh wild green onions, I used some of that as well. Now I just need to get some more shimeji mushrooms so I can make it again! Oh yes, I used a lot less oil, as others have suggested. My husband is raving about this meal.
I’m curious about 1/2 cup oil. It seems a lot for saute.
It is about 4x too much oil. I used 1/4 cup and it was still too much
Yummy!!! Can you make it without the miso if it’s not available?
Absolutely! Substitute with a little more soy sauce and just a squeeze of lemon juice.
It is about 4x too much oil. I used 1/4 cup and it was still too much
We made your recipe tonight and loved it. Very easy to make and so rich and delicious. Thank you so much for sharing it.
Thank you Joan!
Just tried this dish as a friend gave us some Shimenji Mushrooms – absolutely lovely.
Hi Jaden, thank your for your post about shimeji mushroom noodle. I am going to try this recipe. I am pretty sure its going to be a great dish for my family. Keep up the good work.
I added a tablespoon of chopped ginger and substituted the boiling water with roasted veg broth. Garnished with chopped green onions. Amazing recipe. Will be heavy in our rotation. THANKYOU!
WOW, thats such a great recipe, thank you 🙂
This looks so yummy!
hi, there are sooo many diffrent kinds and brands of miso out there… which one would you recommend?
I like white miso – which is “shiromiso” – it’s the lightest of all, least salty.
my bad i meant to say this is not an easy thing to make
this is not even an easy thing to mske
This was the best EVER!!!!!! My family thought I had picked it up from a restaurant. Thanks so much and so many things can be added to the recipe. The variations are endless.
I made this yesterday for lunch, the only alteration I made was that I used dashi in the place of the noodle cooking water – it tasted wonderful and took only 15 minutes to make, I will definatly be making this again thanks for sharing the recipe!!!
Fantastic! Thank you! ~jaden
wow, this looks yummy and healthy. Just the way the I girl I’m interested in likes! I’ll give this a try. I’m trying to make her a cookbook 🙂
Yummm!
I’m going to make this tonight. My husband’s cousin recently gave us a ton of fresh Shimeji mushrooms that I have stored in the freezer.
look so yummy……so tempted (it’s past midnight) to make myself a bowl now!
Sounds nice& easy & tasty. Will make tomorrow. I bought 2 pkgs.of white shameni mushrooms Didn’t know I had to cook them. But should be great over pasta. Thanks
Sounds nice& easy & tasty. Will make tomorrow. I bought 2 pkgs.of white shimenji mushrooms Didn’t know I had to cook them. But should be great over pasta. Thanks
wooo! mushrooms! my favourite fungi! I’ve been searching garden centres far and wide for some of those grow-it-yourself Mushroom Kits. Your noodle and mushroom dish looks divine!
girl, those ‘shrooms looks sooooo good!!!
giveaway cookbook sounds good to me!
OMG I love mushrooms, this looks amazing. Will be looking forward to the rest of the series! 🙂 Great photos as well.
Yes, you SHOULD do a giveaway!
This looks yummy! I would love to eat a big bowl of this for lunch!
What a coincidence. I just made spaghetti with garlic, fresh shitake mushrooms, and olive oil. I really didn’t know what I was doing so I just threw some things together. The pasta was missing something! The soy sauce and miso would have been a great addition. I will have to try this next time!
Beautiful pictures (as usual), nice recipe! I love wood bowls. Thank you…
They look so pretty. It’s such a simple dish and yet very delicious. I really like it…good job Jaden. Keep us busy with lots of good foods 🙂
These are my favorite sorts of noodle dishes – simple and letting the flavor of all the ingredients shine through. All these delicious mushroom recipes are going to have my bookmarked recipes overloaded!
lovely photo Jaden. Love the mushroom posts. I’ve been hunting for a good japanese cookbook so going to take your recommendation and check this one out.
Wow this looks so healthy and yummy.
I have this mushroom in a tin which i bought from the asian store.
Your photos of the mushrooms from the last couple so post are unbelievably gorgeous.
Wow, very inventive with the use of the miso. They don’t sell small containers if miso so I always have a large amount in my fridge. Since miso soup uses so little, it takes like a year to go through. Now I have a new way of using it.
Miso Master makes a GREAT product which comes in, what is to me, small containers (8 oz.) Enjoy!
Thanks for the recipe! I can’t wait to try this.
Can I have one dish… like, NOW? 😛
Those mushrooms look lovely!
Those noodle dishes look like something I would be slurping up without taking a moment to breathe!