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–+ servings

Zaru Udon (Cold Udon with Homemade Dipping Sauce)

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Chilling time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 2 portions

Ingredients 
 

Additions

Instructions 

  • Pour 200 ml dashi stock, 5 tsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu) and 4 tsp mirin into a small saucepan. Boil for 1 minute to burn off some of the alcohol in the mirin. Add ½ tbsp sugar and stir until the dissolved.
    Heating homemade mentsuyu sauce in a sauce pan
  • Take the pan off the heat, pour the contents of the pan into a heatproof jug, cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge until serving time.
    cooling homemade mentsuyu sauce in a heatproof measuring jug
  • Cook 2 portions udon noodles according to the packet instructions. Once cooked, drain and rinse with cold running water. Place the udon in a colander over a mixing bowl, throw in a handful of ice cubes and toss a few times to chill.
    chilling cooked udon noodles with ice in a mesh sieve over a bowl of cold water
  • Prepare a small place for each serving and add ½ tsp wasabi, ½ tsp grated ginger, 1 tbsp tempura flakes and 1 tbsp chopped green onion to each one. These are optional add-ins for the sauce.
    chopped green onion, grated ginger and wasabi paste in a speckled bowl
  • Place each serving of udon on a "zaru" and sprinkle kizami nori over the top. If you don't have a zaru, place a bamboo sushi mat on a plate instead.
    cold udon noodles on a bamboo zaru topped with shreds of nori (kizami nori)
  • Serve each portion of udon with an individual serving cup of cold mentsuyu dipping sauce and the small plate of add-ins. Mix, dip and enjoy!
    dipping cold udon noodles in mentsuyu (noodle dipping sauce) mixed with green onions

Notes

You can use this recipe to make zaru soba, just replace the udon noodles with soba noodles.
If you're doubling or tripling the recipe, keep in mind that the mentsuyu will take longer to cool.
Fridge Storage: Mentsuyu: sealed jar, 7 days. Cooked udon: not recommended. If unavoidable, hold submerged in cold water up to 12 hours, but expect softer bite.
Meal Prep: Not recommended for complete assembly. Make mentsuyu ahead (fridge 7 days or freeze in individual portions for up to 1 month).
Serving Ideas: Mixed tempura platter (shrimp, eggplant, sweet potato, perilla leaves), Chicken tempura (toriten), Japanese teriyaki chicken, Shojin age (Japanese vegan tempura)