Simple Udon Soup Recipe (Basic Japanese Kake Udon)

By Sudachi · 30 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Pull the heads off 30 g dried sardines, split each along the back and remove the black guts.
2. Put 1000 ml water, 10 g dried kelp and the sardines in a pot, cover and soak for 30 minutes.
3. After soaking, set over medium-low heat so tiny bubbles form around the rim in about 10 minutes, keeping it below a boil.
4. When tiny bubbles cling to the rim, taste the dashi. If the flavour is clear and full, lift out the kelp and sardines together; if weak, heat gently a little longer, then lift them out.
5. Bring to a rolling boil, add about 70 ml cold water to cool it to 90–95 °C, then add 15 g bonito flakes at once.
6. When small bubbles rise again, about 10 seconds later, turn off the heat and skim off any foam.
7. Strain through a cloth-lined strainer, letting the dashi drip through on its own without pressing the flakes.
8. Rinse the pot, add 3½ tbsp mirin and simmer over medium heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute to cook off the alcohol.
9. Add the strained dashi. When lukewarm, stir in 3½ tbsp soy sauce and heat until hot without boiling; taste and add more soy sauce in small splashes if needed, then keep warm over low heat.
10. Bring water at least 10 times the weight of the noodles to a full boil and cook 5 portions of udon following the package directions. Do not add cold water.
11. Warm the serving bowls with hot water.
12. Reheat the broth, ladle into the bowls, add the noodles, scatter over 5 tbsp chopped green onions and serve right away.

Summarized from Sudachi's video. Watch it for the details.

More recipes with

ScallionKombuBonito flakeUdon noodleSardine