Udon Noodle Soup with Fish Cake and Scallions

Name: Udon Noodle Soup with Fish Cake and Scallions
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 4 cups (960 ml) dashi stock, homemade, or made from instant dashi granules dissolved in hot water as directed on the package; 3 tbsp (45 ml) light soy sauce (usukuchi), if using regular dark Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi), use 2 tbsp (30 ml) instead; 3 tbsp (45 ml) mirin; fine sea salt, a pinch, only if needed after tasting (optional); 14 oz (400 g) frozen or fresh udon noodles, 2 portions (about 7 oz / 200 g each); keep frozen until cooking; 3 oz (85 g) narutomaki or kamaboko fish cake, cut into 8 to 10 slices, about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick; 3 whole (45 g) scallions, thinly sliced on a diagonal, white and green parts; 1 cup (30 g) baby spinach, loosely packed, rinsed; shichimi togarashi, to taste, for serving (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A comforting bowl of chewy udon in a clear, savory-sweet dashi broth seasoned with light soy sauce and mirin, topped with sliced narutomaki fish cake, scallions and spinach. The noodles and broth finish together, so everything reaches the bowl hot, in about 25 minutes.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 25 min
Makes: 2 large bowls

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Ingredients

2 servings

For the broth
4 cups (960 ml) dashi stock, homemade, or made from instant dashi granules dissolved in hot water as directed on the package
3 tbsp (45 ml) light soy sauce (usukuchi), if using regular dark Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi), use 2 tbsp (30 ml) instead
3 tbsp (45 ml) mirin
fine sea salt, a pinch, only if needed after tasting (optional)
For the bowls
14 oz (400 g) frozen or fresh udon noodles, 2 portions (about 7 oz / 200 g each); keep frozen until cooking
3 oz (85 g) narutomaki or kamaboko fish cake, cut into 8 to 10 slices, about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick
3 whole (45 g) scallions, thinly sliced on a diagonal, white and green parts
1 cup (30 g) baby spinach, loosely packed, rinsed
shichimi togarashi, to taste, for serving (optional)

Equipment (7)

Medium saucepan (3-quart / 3 L) for the broth
Large pot (4-quart / 4 L) with lid for boiling noodles
Fine-mesh strainer or colander
Ladle
2 large noodle bowls (about 4-cup / 1 L capacity)
Sharp knife and cutting board
Long chopsticks or tongs

Steps

Before you start

Read the whole recipe first. The noodle water and the broth heat at the same time, so start the water first and slice toppings while it heats.
Check your udon package. Frozen udon cooks in 2 to 3 minutes and fresh vacuum-packed udon in 1 to 2 minutes. This recipe is written for those. For dried udon, see the substitutions, because it needs about 8 to 12 minutes and a head start.
Cook the noodles in a separate pot of water, not in the soup, so the broth stays clear instead of starchy.
Have two large bowls (about 4-cup / 1 L capacity) ready near the stove, ideally warmed with hot tap water.

1
Start noodle water
- Fill the 4-quart (4 L) pot with about 3 quarts (3 L) water, cover, and set over high heat.
- It will take about 10 to 12 minutes to boil, so carry on with the next steps while it heats.
- This water is only for the noodles.
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Ready when: Water is heating under a lid; it will reach a rolling boil by the time the broth is seasoned
Tip: Keep the lid on to speed it up.
2
Prep the toppings
- Slice the fish cake into ¼-inch (6 mm) rounds.
- Slice the scallions thinly on a diagonal.
- Rinse the spinach and drain it well.
- Set everything beside the stove and put the bowls nearby.
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Ready when: Fish cake slices are even and scallions are cut
Tip: Keep the fish cake raw and cold until assembly; it is already cooked and only needs the hot broth to warm it.
3
Heat the dashi
- Pour the dashi into the 3-quart (3 L) saucepan and warm over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until steaming with tiny bubbles at the edges.
- Do not let it boil hard, which dulls its flavor.
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Ready when: Steaming, with tiny bubbles at the edge of the pan
4
Season the broth
- Stir in the soy sauce and mirin.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 2 minutes.
- Taste.
- It should be savory with a light sweetness, like a clear soup you could sip on its own.
- Add a small pinch of salt only if it tastes flat.
- Check that the noodle water is at a rolling boil now.
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Ready when: Broth smells fragrant and tastes balanced, savory with slight sweetness
Tip: Season to taste at this point; the rinsed noodles add very little water, so do not oversalt.
5
Cook the udon
- Add the udon to the boiling water, with the broth kept hot on low.
- Cook frozen udon for 2 to 3 minutes, gently separating the blocks with chopsticks as they loosen.
- Fresh vacuum-packed udon needs 1 to 2 minutes.
- Bite one strand to check.
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Ready when: Noodles are tender and chewy, with no hard white core when bitten
Tip: Don't walk away; udon turns soft quickly once past done.
6
Drain and portion
- Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse under hot running water for about 10 seconds to remove surface starch.
- Shake well and divide between the two bowls.
- Lay the fish cake slices on top, dividing them evenly.
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Ready when: Noodles look glossy and no longer feel slippery-sticky
Tip: Turn off the noodle-pot burner right away.
7
Wilt the spinach
- Raise the broth heat to medium.
- Add the spinach to the saucepan and stir for 20 to 30 seconds, until bright green and wilted.
- Remove from the heat.
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Ready when: Leaves are bright green and collapsed
Tip: Do this last so the spinach stays green.
8
Assemble and serve
- Ladle about 1¾ cups (420 ml) hot broth into each bowl, pouring around the fish cake, with some spinach in each.
- The hot broth warms the fish cake.
- Top with scallions and add shichimi togarashi if you like.
- Serve immediately.
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Ready when: Noodles are mostly submerged and the broth is steaming hot
Tip: A little broth will be left in the pot for refills.

Good to know

Tips

Cook the noodles in a separate pot to keep the broth clear and not starchy.
Season the broth to taste at the stove; with light soy sauce it should taste balanced on its own, not extra strong.
Do not boil the dashi hard. Gentle heat preserves its delicate aroma.
Serve right away. Udon keeps absorbing broth and softens if left sitting.

Make ahead

The seasoned broth can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated in a covered container. Reheat gently until steaming. Cook the noodles and slice the toppings fresh just before serving.

Storage & reheating

Store broth, noodles and toppings separately. Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Fridge: broth up to 3 days; cooked noodles up to 1 day (they soften). Freezer: broth up to 2 months, thawed overnight in the fridge. Reheat broth on the stove over medium heat until steaming, and refresh noodles in boiling water for 30 seconds.

Substitutions

dashi stock → Kombu-shiitake dashi or instant hondashi. For a vegetarian version use kombu and dried shiitake dashi only, and skip the fish cake.
mirin → 1 tbsp sugar plus 2 tbsp water, per 3 tbsp mirin. Or use dry sherry with ½ tsp sugar. Flavor will be slightly different.
narutomaki or kamaboko fish cake → Sliced tofu puffs (aburaage) or a soft-boiled egg. Place in the bowl before ladling the hot broth over.
frozen or fresh udon noodles → Dried udon noodles, about 10½ oz (300 g) total (5 oz / 150 g per person). Start the noodle water earlier and cook 8 to 12 minutes per package directions, then rinse well. Begin the broth about 5 minutes before the noodles finish.