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Tanuki Udon Soup (Japanese Noodle Recipe)

ByJuri Austin Published on Updated on
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5 from 4 votes
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Treat yourself to the heartwarming Tanuki Udon soup—a cozy, satisfying Japanese noodle dish that guarantees a delightful meal experience!

Looking for easy udon recipes? Try my Kake Udon, Zaru Udon, or Kitsune Udon!

Tanuki udon soup served in a bowl.

I’ll walk you through the ingredients and step-by-step instructions. I hope you enjoy it!

Why You Will Love This Recipe 

  • This tanuki udon is a hearty noodle bowl filled with Japanese udon noodles.
  • Easy to make and a perfect dish for a quick lunch or dinner.
  • Tempura bits add a nice crunchy texture to this noodle dish.

Tanuki Udon

Tanuki Udon, named after the Japanese raccoon dog, has tenkasu (tempura bits) as the main topping. Some say the name comes from the color of tenkasu, which looks like a raccoon.

Recipe Ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this Tanuki Udon:

Ingredients for tanuki udon soup.
  • Udon noodles: The popular Japanese noodles, made with wheat flour and water, are a staple of Japanese cuisine. These thick and chewy noodles can be enjoyed both hot and cold. At Japanese grocery stores or Asian markets, you can find udon noodles in different forms – dried, fresh, or frozen. In this recipe, I opt for frozen udon noodles for their quick preparation, requiring just a few minutes of boiling.
  • Tenkasu, or agedama, are crispy tempura flakes—small, crunchy bits made as a byproduct during tempura frying. Tenkasu is often used as a topping in Japanese dishes, adding crunchiness and flavor to soups, noodles, and other dishes. I use store-bought tenkasu for this recipe, but making your tempura bits is easy. Prepare a tempura batter, apply a generous amount to a brush, and gently drop it into the hot oil. Fry for approximately 2 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Wakame seaweed, and scallions (green onions) for the toppings.
  • Dashi powder, salt, mirin, and soy sauce for noodle soup. Dashi, a traditional Japanese soup stock, is the key ingredient in infusing the broth with savory richness (find more in What is dashi). In this recipe, I simplify the process by using store-bought kombu dashi powder. If you like to make homemade noodle soup from scratch, try this Mentsuyu recipe!

How To Make Tanuki Udon: STEP BY STEP 

Here are some quick visual instructions! For the video and all the detailed ingredients and instructions, go to the printable recipe card below.

How to make tanuki udon.

Step 1

Finely chop the scallions.

How to make tanuki udon.

Step 2

Rehydrate the dry wakame seaweed.

How to make tanuki udon.

Step 3

Put soup ingredients into a large pot and bring it to a boil.

How to make tanuki udon.

Step 4

Boil udon noodles.

Tanuki udon soup served in a bowl.

Serve the noodles in a bowl, pour the soup, and finish it with toppings. Enjoy these hearty udon noodles! If you like a spicy kick, top it with a sprinkle of shichimi togarashi, a Japanese spice blend.

Recipe Tips

  • Adjusting Soup Seasoning: If your udon soup is too salty, you can balance it by diluting it with water. Conversely, if it’s too mild, add more salt to enhance the flavor.
  • Udon noodles typically take a couple of minutes to cook frozen noodles and around 10 minutes or more for dried or fresh noodles. The cooking time can vary depending on the type and brand of udon noodles, so please follow the package directions.
  • Tenkasu will become soft over time, so add it right before you eat for a crunchy texture.

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Tanuki udon soup served in a bowl.

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Tanuki udon served in a soup bowl.

Tanuki Udon Soup (Japanese Noodle Recipe)

5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Save
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Author: Juri Austin
Treat yourself to the heartwarming Tanuki Udon soup—a cozy, satisfying Japanese noodle dish that guarantees a delightful meal experience!

Equipment

  • 1 Medium saucepan 18 cm/7 inches
  • 1 Strainer

Ingredients

Noodle Soup

Instructions

  • Prepare the toppings: Prepare tenkasu in a small bowl. Place the dried wakame in a small bowl and let it soak for about 5 minutes. Drain the seaweed completely. Finely chop the scallion.
  • Make the Udon Soup: In a large pot, add water, dashi powder, mirin, soy sauce, and salt and boil over medium heat.
  • Boil the Udon Noodles: While making the soup, add the udon noodles to a separate pot of boiling water and cook them for about two minutes.
  • Drain the noodles: Drain using a strainer and quickly rinse under cold water to remove the extra starch.
  • Serve: Serve the drained noodles in a bowl, pour the soup, and place the tenkasu, wakame, and scallions on top. You can top it with shichimi togarashi, a Japanese spice, for an extra kick.

Video

Notes

  • Adjusting Soup Seasoning: If your udon soup is too salty, you can balance it by diluting it with water. Conversely, if it’s too mild, add more salt to enhance the flavor.
  • Udon noodle cooking time typically takes a couple of minutes to cook frozen udon noodles and around 10 minutes or more for fresh or dried udon noodles. The cooking time can vary depending on the type and brand of udon noodles, so please follow the package directions.
  • Making homemade tenkasu is simple. Prepare a tempura batter, apply a generous amount to a brush, and gradually drop it into hot oil. Fry for about 2 minutes or until golden brown.
     

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 550kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 16g
Course: Main
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: tanuki udon
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One Comment

  1. 5 stars
    Thank you for visiting the comment section. Here, you can leave me feedback with a star rating. Readers like yourself may find comments helpful when making one of my recipes. I hope you love this one as much as I do!

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