Japanese•healthy

Simple Udon Noodle Soup (Kake Udon)

The beauty of kake udon lies in its simplicity, and its delicate and savory dashi broth serves as the base for many udon soup recipes.

Ingredients

Quantities are shown as originally provided.

10 g dried sardines (niboshi) (substitute for dried shiitake mushrooms for plant-based diets)
10 g dried kelp (kombu)
15 g bonito flakes (katsuobushi) ((katsuobushi) omit for plant-based diets)
1000 ml water
5 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
2 tbsp mirin
½ tsp salt
5 portions udon noodles
5 tbsp finely chopped green onions
toppings of your choice (see in post)

1
Remove and discard the heads of 10 g dried sardines (niboshi).
2
Pour 1000 ml water into a pot and add the dried sardines and 10 g dried kelp (kombu). Cover and soak for 30 minutes. (If making it plant-based, add 1-2 dried shiitake mushrooms instead of niboshi.)
3
After 30 minutes, place the pot on the stove and start heating on medium-low.
4
Add 15 g bonito flakes (katsuobushi).
5
Allow the dashi to heat up slowly until small bubbles start to appear, then turn off the heat. Do not let it boil.
6
Take a large heatproof bowl and place a sieve lined with kitchen paper.
7
Pour the dashi through the sieve, allowing the clear broth to pass through into the bowl.
8
The dashi is complete and ready to use. Leftovers can be stored (see note).
9
Boil 5 portions udon noodles according to the instructions on the packaging. Once cooked, pour through a sieve of colander to drain and wash with fresh hot water to remove any excess starch.
10
Pour the dashi broth back into the pan and add 5 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu), 2 tbsp mirin and bring to a boil over a medium-high heat.
11
Let it bubble for 1-2 minutes to burn the alcohol away from the mirin, then turn off the heat and mix in ½ tsp salt.
12
Divide the noodles and broth into serving bowls and add the toppings of your choice.
13
Enjoy!