The classic Udon Noodle Soup – A light yet comforting bowl of thick chewy noodles swimming in a delicate umami broth. Only requiring 15 minutes to make, this udon soup recipe is easy to whip up for a delicious and nutritious lunch or dinner.
With only a few high-quality ingredients, this udon soup recipe allows the unique flavours of each ingredient to shine, celebrating simplicity.
There is nothing a bowl of noodle soup can’t fix. Especially when it is a bowl of thick chewy udon noodles swimming in a light yet flavourful broth.
WHAT IS UDON NOODLE SOUP MADE OF?
The broth in udon noodle soup uses dashi as the base which is then seasoned with light soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and a little salt.
The combination of these ingredients results in an ever so slightly sweet, delicate yet flavourful umami broth.
The lightness of this soup makes it perfect for a simple lunch or dinner in summer. At the same time, this hot bowl of udon soup makes it so comforting to eat in winter too!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR THIS RECIPE
Udon noodles Store-bought or homemade
Unsalted dashi stock Store-bought or homemade
Soy sauce
Mirin
Sugar
Salt
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS
Scallions Thinly sliced diagonally
Bonito flakes
Kamaboko Also known as Japanese fish cake
Togarashi Also known as Japanese chili flakes
HOW TO MAKE UDON NOODLE SOUP
Boil udon noodles according to package instructions. Rinse under cold water, drain, then set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine dashi stock, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and salt. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat, and pour the soup into serving bowls. Slide the udon noodles into the soup base.
Top with the optional toppings. Serve immediately.
PRO TIPS
Type of soy sauce – This recipe uses regular soy sauce. If you would like to make an extra light dashi soup, use light soy sauce instead. However, do not use dark soy sauce in this recipe, as it will affect the colour and flavour of this udon noodle recipe.
Types of udon noodles – For the yummiest udon experience, use the freshest udon noodles you can get. For store bought udon noodles, I use dried and shelf stable options. While both versions are delicious, I would recommend the shelf stable udon noodles over the dried ones, for a more authentic bowl of udon noodle soup. I know there are frozen udon noodles too, however I have not used these yet as it is not available where I am located. If you have tried using frozen udon noodles, do let me know how you find them in the comments below! However, if you have time and energy, go the extra mile, and make fresh udon noodles from scratch! These will give you the best result!
Cooking udon noodles – While the recipe says to cook the udon noodles as directed on the package, it might be a good idea to try a little piece of udon noodle to see if it is cooked properly. Ideally, you will want the texture to be al dente. This will prevent the noodles from getting too soggy as it sits in the soup base later on.
UDON NOODLES SOUP TOPPING OPTIONS
Some days you may feel like a simple bowl of udon noodle soup with either no toppings or just the basic toppings (scallions, bonito flakes, and chilli powder). But on other days, let’s be honest, on most days, we want a little extra. These are some topping ideas for your next bowl of udon noodle soup:
- Thinly sliced beef or pork
- Ramen egg
- Tempura prawns
- Port katsu
The options are endless! You can add anything else you’d like. I’d love to hear what your favourite toppings are! Please let me know in the comments below. I look forward to be inspired by your ideas too!
CAN I MAKE THIS VEGAN FRIENDLY?
The most common dashi is awkase dashi, made from kombo and bonito flakes. However, you can use other kinds of dashi. This tip is especially useful if you want to make udon noodle soup vegan-friendly.
Some vegan-friendly dashi are shiitake dashi and kombu dashi.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE…
- Curry Egg Drop Udon Soup
- Dashi Recipe
- Matcha Brownies
- Matcha Cream Cheese Cookies
- Matcha Latte
- Cure Salmon for Sashimi
- Classic New York Cheesecake
Did you make this recipe and love it? Please give it a 5-star rating or leave a review in the comments below!
Want to save this recipe? Pin it now so you’ll be able to easily find it later!
Udon Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 serve udon noodles store-bought or homemade
- 2 cup unsalted dashi stock store-bought or homemade
- 2 tsp soy sauce *
- 2 tsp mirin
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
Optional toppings
- 1 stalk scallions thinly sliced diagonally
- 2 tsp bonito flakes
- 2 slices kamaboko Japanese fish cake
- 1 pinch shichimi togarashi Japanese chilli flakes
Instructions
- Boil udon noodles according to package instructions. Rinse under cold water, drain, then set aside.
- Ina medium saucepan, combine dashi stock, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and salt. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat,and pour the soup into serving bowls. Slide the udon noodles into the soup base.
- Top with the optional toppings. Serve immediately.
