JAPANESE UDON NOODLE SOUP
Japanese Udon Noodle Soup is a soul-warming, savoury food that consists of the chewy noodles of udon that are mixed into a well-flavoured broth further enhanced in pungency from soy sauce and miso paste in addition to softened cubes of tofu. Fresh vegetables and a small amount of natural sweetness come from carrots, and fresh flavour comes from sprinkling chopped green onions, both with a nutty taste accompanied by sesame seeds. A very quick lunch or dinner can be sourced from this soup. It is comforting yet remarkably nutritious and easily adapted with added supplementary vegetables or proteins to meet your preference.
RECIPE CATEGORY
Lunch, Dinner, Entrée
SERVING SIZE
1
CUISINE
Japanese, Asian
PREPARATION / TECHNIQUES
Boil, Simmer, One-Pot Wonders
OCCASION / HOLIDAY
Weeknight Dinner, Comfort Food, Fall, Winter, Family Meals
SPECIAL CONSIDERATION / DIETARY CONCERNS
Low Fat, Low Cholesterol, High Protein, Quick & Easy, Vegan (if using vegetable broth)
DISH TYPE
Soup / Stew, Noodle Dish
INGREDIENTS
- 75g udon noodles
- 250 ml dashi broth or vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp miso paste
- 1/4 block tofu, cubed
- 1/4 carrot, julienned
- 1 tbsp green onions, chopped
- 1 tsp sesame seeds (for garnish)
FULL NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (PER SERVING)
- Calories: 240
- Protein: 10g
- Fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 37g
- Fibre: 2g
- Sodium: 600mg
PREPARATION
- Cook the udon noodles: Put some water in a pot boiled it according to the instructions on the package for the udon noodles. Then drain and set aside.
- Prepare the broth: In a separate pot, bring dashi or vegetable broth to a soft simmer over medium heat. Add soy sauce and miso paste. Stir the miso paste to dissolve it completely in the broth.
- Add the tofu and vegetables: Stir in cubed tofu and julienned carrot. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until vegetables are tender and the tofu hot throughout.
- Combine with noodles: Add the cooked udon noodles to the pot and gently stir them into the broth. Simmer for 1-2 minutes to allow the flavours to meld together.
- Garnish and serve: Ladle the soup into a bowl and garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds, served hot.
PREP TIME
5 minutes
COOKING TIME
15 minutes
TIPS
- To enhance the umami flavour, you can add a few drops of mirin or rice vinegar to the broth.
- Fresh miso paste would be better to use because boiling the miso would make it lose its delicate taste.
- Tamari may be substituted for soy sauce, and it’s best to use gluten-free udon noodles in the gluten-free version.
- Use soft or silken tofu if you want it to be very smooth; firm tofu for an even denser bite.
VARIATIONS
- Add also shiitake or enoki mushrooms to add an even deeper flavour.
- Swap with cooked chicken, shrimp, or beef for a non-vegetarian version.
- Add bok choy, spinach, or snow peas, amongst other vegetables, to provide nutritional richness.
- To give it a spicy touch, you may add chilli flakes or chilli oil dribbled over.
PREPPING AND STORAGE
- Fridge: Refrigerate leftover soup in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Warm over the stovetop, careful not to overcook the noodles.
- Freezing: Freezing can change the texture of the noodles and tofu. However, you may freeze the broth and then use fresh noodles and tofu to warm it.