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Udon (Japanese Noodle Soup)

Name: Udon (Japanese Noodle Soup)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 2 servings Udon noodles; 800 ml Water; 1 piece Kombu (dried kelp); 10 g Katsuobushi (bonito flakes); 2 tbsp Light soy sauce (usukuchi); 1 tbsp Mirin; 0.5 tsp Salt; 2 Aburaage (fried tofu pouch); 2 Scallions; 1 to taste Shichimi (or chili flakes)

Plump udon noodles in a clear dashi broth made from kombu and bonito. Dashi powder makes it even quicker, and sweet-savory fried tofu turns it into the beloved 'kitsune udon.'

Ingredients

2servings

Udon noodles · frozen or fresh2 servings
Broth (dashi)
Water800 ml
Kombu (dried kelp) · 10cm1 piece
Katsuobushi (bonito flakes) · or swap 2 tsp dashi powder10 g
Light soy sauce (usukuchi) · or 1.5 tbsp regular soy2 tbsp
Mirin1 tbsp
Salt · to taste0.5 tsp
Toppings
Aburaage (fried tofu pouch) · for kitsune udon, optional2
Scallions · sliced2
Shichimi (or chili flakes) · optional1 to taste

Steps

Warm the water and kombu over low heat. Just before it boils (bubbles at the edge), remove the kombu — boiling it turns the broth slimy and bitter.
⏲ 7 min
Add the katsuobushi, steep 1–2 minutes, turn off the heat, let it settle, and strain. (With dashi powder, skip this and just dissolve it in the water.)
⏲ 3 min
Bring the clear dashi to a simmer with the soy sauce, mirin, and salt; taste and keep it slightly under-seasoned.
⏲ 2 min
For kitsune udon, blanch the aburaage to remove oil, then simmer 2–3 minutes in a little broth with soy and sugar until sweet-savory.
⏲ 4 min
In another pot, cook the noodles per the package (about 1 minute for frozen) and drain.
⏲ 2 min
Put the noodles in bowls, pour over the hot broth, top with the tofu and scallions, dust with shichimi, and serve at once.
⏲ 1 min

Tips & Variations

Variations

Kake udon: Just broth and noodles, no toppings — the basic form.
Kitsune udon: Topped with sweet-savory fried tofu (shown).
Bukkake/zaru: Cold noodles with concentrated tsuyu for summer.
Tempura udon: Add shrimp tempura for a hearty bowl.

Tips

Don't boil the kombu — pull it just before boiling for a clean taste.
Short on time? Dashi powder or tea-bag dashi works fine (dissolve and season).
Keep the broth slightly under-salted — the noodles bring it up.
Frozen udon is chewier than dried and great for home cooking.
Blanch the tofu to remove oil before simmering so it soaks up the sweet-savory flavor.

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