Authentic Mentsuyu Recipe for Japanese Noodles
Try this homemade mentsuyu for a rich, umami-packed flavor! It’s a go-to soup base for Japanese noodles like udon, soba, and somen. Make a batch and enjoy it in all kinds of delicious dishes!
Looking for a plant-based version? Check out this vegan mentsuyu recipe!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this Japnaese soup base:
*For a quick version, you can replace kombu and katsuobushi with instant dashi powder.
How To Make Mentsuyu: STEP BY STEP
Here’s a quick visual guide! Check the recipe card below for the video and full details!
Step 1
Soak kombu for 30 minutes or more.
Step 2
Bring to a boil and take out the kombu.
Step 3
Add soy sauce, mirin, and katsuobushi, bring it to a boil, and simmer.
Step 4
Strain the mentsuyu to remove the katsuobushi.
That’s it! Get ready to savor the delicious umami of mentsuyu soup.
What to Do with Leftover Dashi Ingredients
When you make mentsuyu from scratch, you’ll be left with dashi gara (used kombu and katsuobushi). Don’t toss them out—they’re full of flavor and perfect for making a tasty onigiri filling!
Finely chop the kombu and katsuobushi, then cook them in a pan over low heat until any excess moisture evaporates. Mix the seasoned mixture with steamed rice and shape it into onigiri.
You’ll love the savory depth of the dashi blended with the simple goodness of rice—it’s a delicious and waste-free snack!
Your Questions Answered
No, you can’t. Using only soy sauce is too salty as mentsuyu has a milder flavor.
It’s not sweet but mildly salty, and you can taste the savory flavor from the dashi stock.
Mentsuyu is crafted with just three main ingredients–dashi stock, soy sauce, and mirin. Buying a store-bought mentsuyu in Japan is common, but it’s easy to make at home.
More Japanese Noodle Recipes You Will Love
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I hope you enjoy this mentsuyu recipe! If you try it, don’t forget to leave a rating to share your thoughts—I love hearing from you!
Authentic Mentsuyu Recipe for Japanese Noodles
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Soak the Kombu: In a medium saucepan, combine water and kombu. Let it soak for at least 30 minutes to extract the flavor.
- Make the Kombu Dashi: After soaking, bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium heat. Once it starts to boil, turn the heat off, and remove the kombu.
- Simmer: Add soy sauce, mirin, and katsuobushi to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to boil. Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer gently for 5 minutes.
- Cool Down: Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the mentsuyu cool to room temperature.
- Strain: Place a coffee filter inside a strainer and position it over a glass jar. Carefully strain the mentsuyu to remove the katsuobushi.
- Add all the ingredients to a saucepan, bring to a boil, and simmer until the kombu dashi powder dissolves.
Notes
- Storage: Store in a glass jar or an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. For long-term storage, freeze it in a freezer bag or ice cube tray and store it in the freezer for one month.
- Vegan Alternative: Try this vegan mentsuyu recipe!
- Use as-is or dilute with water, depending on your preference.
Video
Nutrition
This nutritional information is estimated and provided for general reference only.
Wow…
Thank you!
Hi. I have a question. Can kombu and katsuobushi be used for something else after boiling?
Ok, I found the answer on the website – origiri, rights? 🙂
Yes, you can mix it in Onigiri!