Before getting into the noodles, I have to show you a video. I am a HUGE animal lover. I love all kind of animals. Bird is one of them. Back in our old apartment, we had a front yard. At one point, I got a feeder and fed a bunch of finches. That was really awesome (see the pictures here)! However the feeder was hang right next to our front door, the falling seeds and shells created quite a mess. Sunflowers were growing and bugs were flying. I ended up giving up and abandoned the feeder.
After moving to our current place, Bryan and I notice that there are a lot of hummingbirds around. I got a feeder and put it next to a living room window. I can easily see it when I am sitting on the couch and in front of my computer.
Hummingbirds stop by many times a day. As far as we can identify, there are 3 regulars. One is a colorful male who likes to “chip” a lot and chase others. Another one is a tall female who enjoys sitting on the feeder. The last one is a small female who is fairly new. It is very fun to look at them and observe their behaviors. Bryan has been trying to take a few pictures, but it hasn’t been too successful. Last week, we got a GoPro and we captured a few videos of the hummingbirds. Here is one that I uploaded this morning:
Now, back to the udon. Even though it is still very hot outside, this is the udon you got to try! This udon pairs with a creamy tomato soup. The soup has smokey bacon, shallot, garlic and of course, fresh tomatoes. Blend everything together. Ta-da! There is a thick and creamy soup without a drop of cream. Last but not least, cook the beef in the soup. All the meaty flavors got in the soup. This is one phenomenal bowl of udon. Enjoy!
Beef Tomato Udon Soup
Yield 2 servings
Ingredients
6 slices bacon (dices)
- 2 large tomatoes (removed stems and diced), plus ½ tomato (cut into wedges, optional garnish)
- 1 large shallot (minced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
- ½ small onion (sliced)
- 2 udon packages (best to use Sanuki udon)
- ½ pound thinly sliced beef
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 green onions (finely chopped)
- salt
- ground black pepper
Instructions
- In medium pot over medium-high heat, add the bacon and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the diced tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Once it is boiling, remove from heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- In a blender, process the broth mixture until smooth. You may want to do it in 2 rounds. Pour the creamy broth back to the same pot. Add onion. Bring back to a boil over medium-high heat. Season with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Follow the udon package direction to cook the udon. Drain and divide the udon into 2 large serving bowls.
- In a medium bowl, add the sliced beef. Season with salt. Add the sesame oil. Mix together. Place the beef into the tomato broth. Stir in the beef slices and cook until just cooked through. Remove the beef and onion. Place them on top of the udon. Scoop broth over. Top with green onions and tomato wedges. Serve immediately.
Notes
Tips:
- If you want, after you finished cooking the bacon, you can remove some of the bacon fat with a paper towel or spoon.
- You can use pasta instead of udon.
(Adapted from Maria Cordero via Good Cheap Eats 3)
Courses Lunch, Dinner
I loved your video! We have a humming bird feeder in our backyard and I love watching them too! We also have about 3 regulars, they each chase each other off despite there being plenty of room for all of them 😉
I totally in love with you udon recipe – I definitely had a When Harry Met Sally Moment 😉 Awesome post!
Thanks Kathleen. 🙂 The chasing happens a lot in my feeder too! There can never be 2 birds on the feeder together, because the male always chase everyone away. Oh, the bird world!
Haha… Yes! Whoever thought of putting tomato soup and udon together is a genius!
What fun to catch your hummingbirds in action! I have many tube shaped flowers (especially hosta and weigela) in my garden that hummingbirds seem to prefer. The little devils are fiesty! They will dive at humans if the humans are in their way! Your udon soup looks so warming and filling. I have this pinned to make on the first cool day we get!
I wish my hummingbirds are that human friendly. I have to make a detour (walk further away), so that the hummingbird won’t get scared and fly away.
I’m hoping for fall to arrive very soon! Enjoy the noodles. 🙂
Great video! And how great you can see them from your living room.
And this udon noodle soup sounds like such a nice change from the usual. My fellas love udon and I have been meaning to make beef tomato over rice…maybe better to do this, instead? ; ) Hope all is good!
It is really nice to have the hummingbirds around. They are like my pets, but in the wild. 🙂
Thanks Monica! Bryan doesn’t really like tomatoes, but he likes this soup. It is creamy and meaty. Give it a try!
Oh my gosh, what an awesome video of the hummingbirds! So cool that you can see them so clearly.
These udon noodles look so comforting and delicious, perfect for slurping with the rainy weather we have here today!
Very cool, right? I love these cute birdies. 🙂 This is a bowl of comfort! Enjoy!
Great video!! I love hummingbirds. It doesn’t matter how hot is it, I’d happily eat a bowl of your beef tomato udon soup! 🙂
Thanks so much Maryanne! Enjoy the udon! 😉
That video is so cute!! And I’m amazed you captured that with a Go Pro, the quality is exceptional. As for this soup? Bring it ON! Udon is one of my fave noodles for sure, and this broth looks incredible. Pinning of course! 🙂 I love your food!!
Thank you very much, Nagi! I’m very impressed the Go Pro too! It really is perfect for video and occasion for pictures. Love it!
Wow, I love Udon too(of course I am Japanese:D) and this recipe like Udon meets western country. Sounds great new flavour for Udon and me. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Thanks Shihoko! I love the chewy texture of udon. It is even better that they can be stored in the freezer. I always have some at home on stand-by. But yea, you are right! This is a great blend of east and west flavors. Tomato soup broth with noodles is actually a pretty common dish in Hong Kong. It is often served with macaroni. 😉
I am really into Asian soups right now. This looks wonderful and satisfying.
This soup is a nice blend of Asian and Western flavors. Creamy, thick and smokey. Really good with the al dente udon. 😀
You neglected to state when to add the sliced small onion. My guess is that you cook it with the beef??
Sorry about that! Thanks for pointing it out. I have updated the recipe. The thinly sliced onions should be added after the puree process, so they can be cooked in the broth for a little bit.
Thank you for the response! I changed my recipe to say add “sliced onion” to keep it differentiated from the green onion!