Udon Noodle Soup

We needed more Udon noodle soup in Japan, so I dug in. The key is Kombu Dashi, think of it as another form of chicken broth. I sourced many recipes, and everyone uses a different balance of kombu to water. I used 2 (4-inch) pieces to 4 cups of water. I used a damp paper towel to wipe the kombu from the dust, put it in a big pot, let it hang out for about ten minutes, then set the pot on medium heat, do not let boil. Remove the pot from the heat, take out the kombu and toss. This is the base, and can keep in the fridge for a few weeks, and you can freeze it too.

You need bonito flakes to make the dashi, the soup for those noodles. One and a half cups for every four cups of Kombu Dashi. Bring the kombu to a simmer, turn off the heat, add the bonito, and let that stay on low for three minutes. Then strain, if some of the bonito flakes stay in the dashi, no worries, they are good.

Making the soup is simple. Add 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/8 cup mirin, and 1/8 cup sake for four cups of broth that has already gone through the bonito flakes—taste to see if you want to add any more of those ingredients.

I added the noodles to this just as it began to boil and then brought it down to medium-low until the noodles were done. You can also make the noodles in another pot and put them in a soup bowl. When they are done, pour the soup over it.

A win.