Japanese Udon Stew

My son loves Japanese food, especially noodles, so he was happy to have this for dinner the other night. And whenever we have noodles (or any Japanese meal for that matter), he insists on using chopsticks. No spoon and fork for my little guy. I got this recipe from Vegetarian Times Low-Fat and Fast Asian cookbook.

The Japanese love their stews and soups with more noodles than vegetables. But if you prefer more vegetables, reduce the amount of noodles to eight ounces.

12 oz (340g) fresh udon or flat, medium wide dried wheat noodles
1 teaspoon each canola and sesame oil
1 cup peeled and sliced carrots, cut into 1/8-inch coins
1/2 medium daikon radish, peeled and sliced (3/4 cup)
1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced (1 cup)
4 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons mirin or other sweet wine
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
4-5 medium-large fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and cut into slivers (1 cup)
4 oz (113g) firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths
1 sheet nori, toasted and cut into thin strips

Cook the noodles until almost tender; drain in a colander.

While the noodles cook, heat the oils in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, daikon, and sweet potato. Stir to coat them with the oil, then cook for 2 minutes.

Add the broth, mirin, and soy sauce. Heat to a simmer and cook until the potato is almost tender, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and tofu and simmer for 5 minutes or more. Add the noodles and scallions and cook until the noodles are tender, about 2 minutes. Serve the stew in large soup bowls, ladling some of the broth over each serving. Scatter the nori over the top of the stew.