Pulled pork makes friends with soba noodle soup

We tend to associate pulled pork with Southern-style barbecue. But for this hearty fall soup, we decided to take our favorite moist and tender pork in a decidedly Japanese direction.

We started by marinating medallions of pork tenderloin in garlic and oil. Time is your friend here, so don’t hesitate to let it go overnight. Then we saute onions and shiitake mushrooms until brown, and bring that and the pork to a simmer in chicken broth. Once the pork is tender, we use forks to pull it into delicious strands.

Add some fresh ginger and soba noodles and you have a fresh, warming take on pulled pork.

Shiitake Ginger Noodle Soup with Garlic Pork

1-pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch medallions

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

Two 6-ounce containers shiitake mushrooms, stalks discarded, sliced

1 large yellow onion, sliced

6 cups (1 1/2 quarts) low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

6.2 ounces soba noodles (two-thirds of a 9.3-ounce package)

3 scallions, sliced

Salt and ground black pepper

In a zip-close plastic bag, combine the pork medallions, garlic and 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. Shake to coat evenly, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

When ready to cook, in a large saucepan over medium-high, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the mushrooms and onion and cook until lightly browned, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add the pork and garlic from the bag, along with the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pork to a plate. Using 2 forks, shred the pork pieces, then return the meat to the pot. Add the ginger and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the scallions and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Yield: 8

Nutrition information per serving: 230 calories; 60 calories from fat (26 percent of total calories); 7 grams fat (1 grams saturated; 0 grams trans fats); 35 milligrams cholesterol; 26 grams carbohydrate; 2 grams fiber; 3 grams sugar; 18 grams protein; 260 milligrams sodium.