Kare Udon (Japanese Curry Udon Soup)
User Reviews
5.0
12 reviews
Excellent
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Prep Time
5 mins
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Cook Time
5 mins
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Total Time
15 mins
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Servings
2 servings
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Calories
680 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Soup
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Cuisine
Japanese
Kare Udon (Japanese Curry Udon Soup)
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This easy Kare Udon (Japanese Curry Udon Soup) only takes about 15 minutes to make! It features chewy, slurpable udon noodles with a protein of your choice in a rich, thick curry-infused broth. This recipe is a great baseline, and you can definitely customize and make adjustments to suit your preferences.
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon neutral flavored oil such as vegetable or canola oil
- 1 small onion thinly sliced
- 6 ounces (170 grams) protein of your choice (such as ground beef or pork, or thinly sliced chicken breast or pork loin)
- 3 cups dashi (made from scratch with bonito flakes and kombu or with instant dashi powder)
- 2 small cubes Japanese curry roux (about 35 to 50 grams depending on the brand) or more to taste
- 400 to 500 grams udon noodles frozen or parboiled fresh (or about 300 grams uncooked homemade udon noodles, boiled, drained, and rinsed)
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce (optional)
- 2 scallions thinly sliced for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Then add the protein of your choice, stirring to cook until lightly browned and just cooked through, another 3 to 4 minutes depending on the protein.
- Pour in the dashi and raise the heat to bring it to a boil. Cut the curry roux into a few smaller pieces and add them to the pot, being careful to fully dissolve each one. This will add the primary flavoring and also thicken the broth.
- Once all the curry roux is dissolved, add the fresh (parboiled) or frozen udon noodles (frozen will take longer to heat through). Stir and jiggle around the noodles to break them up as needed (they are pre-cooked so shouldn’t take long to refresh).
- Allow the mixture to simmer briefly so ensure the noodles are heated through. Taste and add the soy sauce, if desired, and give it a final stir.
- Divide the mixture evenly into bowls and garnish with sliced scallions. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Udon Noodles: The udon noodles in these photos are my homemade udon noodles (they're cut by hand which is why they look more rustic and imperfect), but you can of course use store-bought noodles here. If using store-bought udon, the preferable options are frozen or parboiled (precooked) fresh noodles (ideally "Sanuki-style" udon noodles). You'll find these in the refrigerated or frozen sections of Asian markets. Because they're already cooked, you can add them directly into your curry udon to just heat them through! Dry noodles can work but are less preferable, as they're flat and less chewy.
- Dashi: Dashi is a popular type of stock in Japanese cuisine. It's made with kombu (edible kelp) and bonito flakes (dried, shaved fish flakes). Although you can absolutely make homemade dashi for this recipe, you can also take a shortcut! Use instant dashi powder or Hondashi which simply requires you to mix it with hot water (this is what I've used in these photos). You can also use vegetarian instant dashi powder if you're making a vegetarian curry udon. In a pinch you could use broth (vegetable or chicken for example) but the flavor profile will be different.
- Japanese Curry Roux: Japanese curry roux is a solidified mixture of fat, flour, and curry spices which is used as an easy and convenient way to make homemade Japanese curry. It's shelf-stable and comes in packages with cubes or pieces that you can cut or break apart (kind of like a thick chocolate bar). There are many brands with varying flavors, package sizes, and spice levels. Some popular brands include Golden Curry, Vermont Curry, Java Curry, and Kokumaro. Generally speaking, Japanese curry is less spicy than some other styles of curries. I find that the medium hot has a nice kick but isn't too spicy.
- Protein: Use whatever protein you want or have on hand for this easy and versatile curry udon. Some options include thinly sliced chicken, beef or pork, or ground chicken, turkey, beef or pork. Tofu is a great vegetarian option, but you could also skip the protein altogether and just add more veggies. I've also had great results making curry udon with pieces of leftover rotisserie chicken or omitting the other proteins entirely and simply topping with a halved boiled egg! You can also skip the protein entirely and load up on veggies (see the next bullet point).
Vegetables: This basic recipe includes sliced onion in the soup and a finish of sliced scallions. This is a good starting point, but you can definitely add other vegetables too! Add firmer veggies once your dashi comes to a boil, cover and cook a bit longer until tender. Then uncover, add the curry roux and proceed as directed. Here are some veggies I've tried with great results:
Potatoes Carrots Mushrooms Bok Choy
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Mushrooms
- Bok Choy
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
680kcal
(34%)
Carbohydrates
63g
(21%)
Protein
32g
(64%)
Fat
31g
(48%)
Saturated Fat
8g
(40%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
3g
Monounsaturated Fat
4g
Cholesterol
63mg
(21%)
Sodium
1468mg
(61%)
Potassium
554mg
(16%)
Fiber
2g
(8%)
Sugar
2g
(4%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 2servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 680 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 680kcal | 34% |
| Carbohydrates | 63g | 21% |
| Protein | 32g | 64% |
| Fat | 31g | 48% |
| Saturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Cholesterol | 63mg | 21% |
| Sodium | 1468mg | 61% |
| Potassium | 554mg | 12% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
12 reviews
Excellent
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