Enjoy a comforting bowl of Kake Udon and delight in the harmony between its chewy udon noodles and flavorful dashi soup. Learn how to make this easy yet satisfying noodle dish!
If you are craving hot noodle soup, Kake Udon is the perfect dish for you! This classic Japanese noodle soup is just a few simple steps - boil udon noodles, pour dashi broth, and top it off with your favorite toppings.
Cozy up with the warm flavors of this delicious Kake udon!
- This recipe is for you if:
- You love Japanese udon noodles.
- You want to make simple udon noodle soup.
- You are looking for kake udon recipe.
Let me walk you through the ingredients and the instructions. If you want to check the recipe, jump to the recipe. Let's get started!
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About this recipe
- Simple udon noodles
- Authentic Japanese noodle recipe
- Use flavorful homemade mentsuyu (soup base)
- Many ideas for toppings
What is Kake Udon (Udon Noodle Soup)?
Kake udon, or udon noodle soup, is a traditional Japanese dish prepared by pouring the hot savory broth over boiled udon noodles and then topped with some toppings.
It's a popular quick lunch menu for the on-the-go. You can easily find the noodle stands that serve udon noodle soups (as well as soba noodles) at train stations across the country.
I will show you how to make Kake udon and introduce various topping ideas below.
By the way, Kake soba is a similar Japanese dish made with buckwheat soba noodles in place of udon and served in a hot broth. It's another popular and easy-to-make meal, perfect for a quick lunch or dinner.
📋 Ingredients
Here are the ingredients (amounts are in the recipe card below).
- Udon noodles: Dried, fresh, or frozen udon noodles are available at grocery stores. I use frozen udon noodles in this recipe.
- Mentsuyu: It's a multipurpose noodle soup base with a savory flavor from dashi broth (Japanese soup broth), mirin, and soy sauce.
- Toppings: Green onions and wakame seaweed.
See more details for each in the following.
Udon Noodles
Udon noodles, the classic Japanese noodle made with wheat flour and water, are a staple of Japanese cuisine. These thick and white noodles have a chewy texture and can be enjoyed both hot and cold.
You can find dried, fresh, or frozen udon noodles at a store. Frozen noodles are my go-to - they're handy to stock in your freezer.
Learn more about different types of udon noodles in "What are Japanese udon noodles: A Beginner's Guide."
Mentsuyu (Noodle soup base)
Mentsuyu is a Japanese soup base crafted with just three main ingredients--flavorful dashi stock (Japanese soup stock), soy sauce, and mirin. With a rich flavor and simple preparation, this homemade soup pairs perfectly with any noodles. I use homemade mentsuyu in this recipe. See the recipe below.
For those short on time, store-bought mentsuyu is an easy way. I always keep one in my fridge as this versatile sauce is perfect for cooking various Japanese dishes.
Toppings
As mentioned earlier, Kake udon is the most straightforward noodle soup topped with one or two ingredients. The popular one is green onions (scallion), and I added my favorite wakame seaweed to this recipe. You will find more toppings below.
Where to Buy Japanese Ingredients
If you live in the US, you can find Japanese ingredients in the list below.
- Japanese market: Mitsuwa Marketplace, Marukai
- Asian market
- Whole Foods Market
- Health food stores
- Online stores: Instacart, Walmart, Amazon
🔪Instructions
Let e show you how to make it! Click here to watch the recipe video.
- Prepare toppings. I picked green onions (scallion) and wakame in this recipe.
- Cook udon noodles according to the package instructions (a couple of minutes for frozen ones).
- Drain and quickly rinse under running cold water to remove the extra starch.
- Make udon soup. Dilute mentsuyu with water and warm it up.
- Serve the noodles in a bowl, and pour the soup.
- Place the toppings.
Here you go! Once it's served, please eat immediately. Otherwise, the udon noodle soaks up the soup and becomes soggy.
If you like a little spice, sprinkle with shichimi togarashi (Japanese spice mix) and enjoy!
Helpful Tips
- If the mentsuyu soup is too salty, dilute it with water. If it's too light, add more mentsuyu.
- Udon noodle cooking time - a couple of minutes for frozen ones. 10 minutes or more for fresh and dried ones.
- Try various toppings from the "Topping variations" section below.
- If you use store-bought mentsuyu, follow the instruction on the package. How much water to add depends on the product.
Vegan Adaptable
Mentsuyu is not vegan-friendly as it's made from katsuobushi (bonito flakes). But you can easily substitute it with dried shiitake mushrooms. Click here for a vegan dashi recipe.
Topping Variations
Kake udon is the most basic udon noodle soup, but the topping variations are limitless! Here are my favorite toppings you can try:
- Green onions (scallion, spring onion)
- Wakame Seaweed
- Kamaboko fish cake - A type of fish cake
- Onsen Tamago - A half-boiled egg. Place eggs in boiled water and leave for 15-20 minutes to cook slowly
- Agedama - Tempura bits or tempura flakes (Crunchy pieces of tempura batter)
- Spinach - Boil for 1 minute
- Tororo Kombu - Flakes of kombu seaweed
- Aburaage - Thin deep-fried tofu. Bake on both sides with a toaster to make it crispy
Kake Udon Variations
Japanese restaurants offer a wide range of udon noodle soups on their menu - each variety has its unique name by toppings. Some of the most popular ones include:
- Tsukimi udon - Raw or half-boiled egg on top
- Kitsune udon - Seasoned aburaage (thin deep-fried tofu) on top
- Chikara udon - Mochi (rice cake) on top
- Tempura udon - Shrimp tempura on top
- Chikuwaten udon - Tempura of chikuwa (a type of fish cake) on top
- Kakiage udon - Kakiage (a type of tempura) on top
By the way, zaru udon is a popular cold dish served with its flavorful dipping soup.
8 Easy Japanese Udon Recipes
Satisfy those udon cravings! You will love these flavorful Japanese udon noodle recipes. From hot soups to refreshing cold dishes, there are many ways to enjoy these chewy noodles!
Thanks For Stopping By
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog♡ If you've tried this recipe (or any other recipe on the blog), please give it a star rating below!
Also, feel free to leave comments if you have any questions. I love hearing from you!
Chef JA Cooks is a Japanese food blog that shares simple and healthy Japanese home cooking recipes, including vegan and vegetarian. From traditional Japanese recipes to modern recipes with step-by-step instructions.
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📖 Recipe
Kake Udon (Japanese Udon Noodle Soup)
Print Pin SAVEEquipment
- 1 Medium saucepan 18 cm/7 inches
- 1 Strainer
Ingredients
- 2 packs Udon noodles, about 360g
- 600 ml Homeade mentsuyu
- 200 ml Water
- 1 inch Scallion, 2.5cm, chop
- 1 tablespoon Dried wakame Seaweed, rehydrate and drain
Instructions
- Prepare toppings
- Cook udon noodles: Boil plenty of water (not in the ingredients list) in a medium saucepan, add udon noodles, and cook according to the package instructions. Stir the noodles with chopsticks to separate them while cooking.
- Drain the noodles: Drain using a strainer and quickly rinse under running cold water to remove the extra starch.
- Udon soup: Put mentsuyu and water in the same saucepan and warm it up.
- Serve: Serve the drained noodles in a bowl, pour the soup, and place the scallions and wakame on top.
Video
Notes
- If the udon soup is too salty, dilute it with water. If it's too light, add more mentsuyu.
- Udon noodle cooking time - a couple of minutes for frozen ones. 10 minutes or more for fresh and dried ones.
- Try various toppings from the "Topping variations" section.
- If you use store-bought mentsuyu, follow the instruction on the package. How much water to add depends on the product.
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