Description
Beef Udon is a comforting Japanese noodle soup featuring tender stir-fried thinly sliced beef, flavorful homemade dashi broth, and thick, chewy udon noodles. This quick and satisfying dish brings together savory soy sauce, sweetened broth, and optional garnishes like narutomaki fish cake and mitsuba herb for an authentic taste. Perfect for a cozy meal, the recipe also includes a shortcut to make the broth using mentsuyu, a convenient noodle soup base.
Ingredients
Broth
- 2½ cups dashi (Japanese soup stock) (use standard Awase Dashi, dashi packet or powder, or Vegan Dashi)
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Toppings and Garnishes
- ½ Tokyo negi (long green onion) (white part only; or use 2 green onions), sliced diagonally into ½-inch pieces
- 1 green onion/scallion, thinly sliced (for topping)
- 4 sprigs mitsuba (Japanese parsley) (optional; thinly sliced leaves and tender stems)
- 4 slices narutomaki (fish cakes) (optional, diagonally cut)
Beef and Seasoning
- 6–8 oz thinly sliced beef (such as ribeye), cut into halves about 1½–2 inches wide
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1½ Tbsp soy sauce
Noodles
- 2 servings udon noodles (1.1 lb/500 g frozen or parboiled udon noodles; 6.3 oz/180 g dry udon noodles)
Optional Broth Shortcut
- ⅓ cup mentsuyu (concentrated noodle soup base)
- 2⅓ cups water
Optional Spice
- Shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) (optional)
Instructions
- Prep Ingredients: Cut the white part of ½ Tokyo negi diagonally into ½-inch slices. Thinly slice 4 sprigs mitsuba leaves and tender stems if using. Slice 1 green onion/scallion thinly for topping. Diagonally slice 4 narutomaki fish cakes. Cut the thinly sliced beef into halves about 1½ to 2 inches wide. Set all aside.
- Make the Broth from Scratch: In a medium saucepan, add 2½ cups (600 ml) water and 1 dashi packet. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then simmer for 2–3 minutes. Squeeze the liquid from the dashi packet and discard the packet. Season the broth with 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, and ⅛ tsp kosher salt. Cover the pot with a lid to keep warm. You can also use the shortcut with mentsuyu: in a medium saucepan, combine ⅓ cup mentsuyu and 2⅓ cups water, bring to a gentle simmer, cover, turn off heat, and keep warm.
- Cook the Beef: Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp neutral oil and the sliced Tokyo negi white part. Sauté until the negi is golden brown and tender. Add the thinly sliced beef and cook until no longer pink. Sprinkle 2 tsp sugar and pour in 1½ Tbsp soy sauce. Stir-fry the beef until well coated. Remove from heat.
- Cook the Udon Noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the noodles. Boil the udon noodles according to package instructions; if frozen, boil from frozen for about 1 minute to reheat. Once cooked, drain and keep warm.
- Assemble and Serve: Divide the drained udon noodles into individual bowls. Pour the hot broth over the noodles to cover. Top each bowl with the stir-fried beef and negi, narutomaki slices, green onion slices, and optional mitsuba. Sprinkle shichimi togarashi if desired for a spicy kick. Serve immediately and enjoy.
- Storage: Store the beef, noodles, and broth separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat and assemble before serving.
Notes
- You can use store-bought mentsuyu for a quicker broth option that still tastes great.
- Adjust soy sauce and sugar amounts according to your taste preference for saltiness and sweetness.
- Beef can be substituted with other proteins like chicken or tofu for variations.
- If fresh mitsuba is unavailable, fresh parsley or cilantro can be used as a garnish substitute.
- For best texture, use thick, chewy udon noodles, either fresh, frozen, or parboiled.
- Shichimi togarashi adds a nice spicy dimension but is optional.
