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Simple Udon Noodle Soup (Kake Udon)

5 from 3 votes
By Yuto Omura
https://sudachirecipes.com
Kake udon is a simple dish made up of thick, chewy udon noodles served in a delicate and savory dashi broth. The beauty of this dish lies in its simplicity, and it serves as the base for most udon soup recipes. Once you master it, you'll be producing restaurant-quality udon in no time!
Prep Time35 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course Dinner, Lunch, Sides
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 5 portions
Calories 315
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Sides
Cuisine: Japanese
Servings: 5 portions
Calories: 315

Ingredients 
 

Dashi Broth

  • 10 g dried sardines (niboshi) substitute for dried shiitake mushrooms for plant-based diets
  • 10 g dried kelp (kombu)
  • 15 g bonito flakes (katsuobushi) omit for plant-based diets
  • 1000 ml water
  • 5 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp mirin
  • ½ tsp salt

Contents

  • 5 portions udon noodles
  • 5 tbsp green onion finely chopped
  • toppings of your choice see in post

Instructions 

Making Awase Dashi

  • Remove and discard the heads of 10 g dried sardines (niboshi).
    breaking heads off of niboshi dried sardines
  • Pour 1000 ml water into a pot and add the dried sardines and 10 g dried kelp (kombu). Cover and soak for 30 minutes. (If making it plant-based, add 1-2 dried shiitake mushrooms instead of niboshi.)
    soaking kombu and niboshi in water
  • After 30 minutes, place the pot on the stove and start heating on medium-low.
    heating pan of water, kombu and niboshi
  • Add 15 g bonito flakes.
    adding katsuobushi to make dashi
  • Allow the dashi to heat up slowly until small bubbles start to appear, then turn off the heat. Do not let it boil. 
    bubbling dashi
  • Take a large heatproof bowl and place a sieve lined with kitchen paper.
    sieve lined with kitchen paper
  • Pour the dashi through the sieve, allowing the clear broth to pass through into the bowl. 
    dashi poured through sieve lined with kitchen paper
  • The dashi is complete and ready to use. Leftovers can be stored (see note).
    clear dashi broth

Udon and Broth

  • Boil 5 portions udon noodles according to the instructions on the packaging. Once cooked, pour through a sieve of colander to drain and wash with fresh hot water to remove any excess starch.
    chilling udon noodles in a sieve
  • Pour the dashi broth back into the pan and add 5 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin and bring to a boil over a medium-high heat.
    making udon soup in a saucepan
  • Let it bubble for 1-2 minutes to burn the alcohol away from the mirin, then turn off the heat and mix in ½ tsp salt.
    adding salt to udon broth
  • Divide the noodles and broth into serving bowls and add the toppings of your choice.
    kake udon in a white bowl topped with tempura flakes, kamaboko fishcakes and green onions
  • Enjoy!

Notes

Leftover dashi or broth can be stored for 5 days in the fridge or up to 1 month in the freezer. If freezing, divide into portions for convenience.
If you don't want to make your own dashi from scratch, see in post for alternatives.
See post for more topping ideas.
NOTE: The nutritional value is based on drinking up the soup (we usually don't drink all the soup when it comes to udon.)

Nutrition

Calories: 315kcal | Carbohydrates: 66.4g | Protein: 7.4g | Fat: 0.6g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 2448.2mg | Fiber: 4.1g