A simple but delicious Japanese udon noodle soup made with a delicate homemade dashi broth, chewy udon noodles, and sliced green onions. Customize it with tempura, fish cake, or vegetables for a heartier meal.
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1
In a medium saucepan, bring 2½ cups water with 2 dashi packets to a boil over medium heat, shaking the bags a few times to release flavor. Reduce to medium-low and simmer 2-3 minutes, then discard the packets.
2
Add the mirin, soy sauce, sugar, and a pinch of salt, bring to a gentle simmer, then remove from heat, cover, and set aside — this is your base broth.
3
For a quicker method, combine water, concentrated mentsuyu, and mirin in a saucepan, adjusting the ratio according to the bottle's instructions.
4
Thinly slice the green onions diagonally for garnish.
5
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch the sturdier stems of the leafy greens first, then add the leaves, and remove once cooked.
6
Cook 2 servings of udon noodles in the same pot according to package instructions, stirring to loosen them. Drain once done and place into individual bowls.
7
Pour the hot broth over the noodles and top with sliced green onions to complete the basic udon soup.
8
For Niku Udon (Beef Udon): thinly slice the white part of a long green onion. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high, cook the sliced beef until almost no longer pink, add the green onion and cook until tender, then stir in sugar and soy sauce and stir-fry for about a minute before transferring to a plate.
9
Pour the broth over the udon noodles, top with the cooked beef, and garnish with green onions.
10
For Kitsune Udon: soak dried wakame in water for 15 minutes to rehydrate, then squeeze out excess water. Place store-bought or homemade seasoned inari age on top of the noodles, garnish with wakame, and sprinkle with shichimi togarashi if you like it spicy.
11
For Onsen Tamago Udon: crack an egg into a microwave-safe bowl, cover completely with water, pierce the yolk with a toothpick to prevent bursting, place at the edge of the microwave tray, and microwave at half power (about 500-600W) for 90 seconds to make the poached egg.
12
Pour the hot broth over the noodles, place the onsen tamago on top, and garnish with tempura scraps, blanched greens, and green onions. Add shichimi togarashi for extra spice if desired.
13
For Fish Cake Udon: thinly slice the kamaboko fish cake. Pour the hot broth over the noodles, top with the fish cake, wakame, blanched greens, and green onions, then finish with a bit of grated yuzu zest for fragrance.
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