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+ servings
Tempura Udon
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
20 mins
 

Tempura Udon is a popular Japanese noodle soup with thick wheat noodles and crunchy prawn tempura, fish cake and chopped shallots/scallions. The dashi-based broth has saltiness and a hint of sweetness that goes so well with tempura.

Don't forget to see the section 'MEAL IDEAS' below the recipe card! It gives you a list of dishes that I have already posted and this recipe that can make up a complete meal. I hope it is of help to you.

Recipe Type: Main
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: kamaboko, tempura, tempura soba, Tempura Udon, udon
Serves: 1
Author: Yumiko
Ingredients (tbsp=15ml, cup=250ml)
  • 60g/2.1oz dried udon noodles (note 1)
  • 2 frozen prawn tempura (note 2)
  • 2 slices kamaboko (steamed fish cakes, note 3)
  • 2 tbsp shallots , finely chopped
Broth
  • 300ml/10oz dashi stock (note 4)
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce (note 5)
  • tbsp mirin
Serving (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 150-160C/302-320F.

  2. Place frozen prawn tempura on a rack in a small tray and reheat in the oven for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave them in the oven until required.

  3. Bring sufficient water in a pot to a boil. Add the dried udon noodles to the pot. Mix for about 15 seconds ensuring that each strand is separated.

  4. Boil for the duration recommended on the back of the pack. My udon needed 10 minutes to cook through.
  5. Drain into colander and rinse well under running water. Shake the colander well to remove water at the bottom of the colander and leave until required.
  6. Put the Broth ingredients in a new pot and bring it to a boil.
  7. Place udon noodles in a serving bowl, and pour the broth over the udon noodles (note 7).

  8. Place the prawn tempura, sliced kamaboko and chopped shallots/scallions on top. Serve immediately with shichimi tōgarashi if using.

Recipe Notes

1. The weight of my boiled udon noodles was about 160g/5.6oz. Depending on the softness of the cooked udon noodles, the weight of cooked udon varies.

You can buy a packet of pre-cooked udon if you prefer. I normally don’t use them as I like my udon to be al-dente and pre-cooked udon tends to be too soft for my liking.

If you have access to a freshly made udon, you are lucky and you should us it by all means. They need less time to boil.

2. You can of course freshly cook tempura. Please see the post Tempura for how to cook prawn tempura.

3. Kamaboko (かまぼこ or 蒲鉾) is a steamed fish cake and usually comes in a semi-cylinder shape on a wooden plank that is wrapped in plastic. They come in white as well as pink-skinned, which I used today. (see the post for details).

They are sold in the frozen section of Japanese/Asian grocery stores.
Slice the kamaboko on the plank as you need, then starting from the edge of the plank, run the knife between the kamaboko and the plank up to the point where the slices ends. Remove the kamaboko slices.

4. If you are using granular dashi powder or a dashi pack, check if it contains salt. If it does, reduce amount of soy sauce.

5. I used light soy sauce to maintain the light colour of the broth. You can use normal soy sauce if you don’t have light soy sauce.

6. Shichimi tōgarashi (七味唐辛子) is a Japanese spice mixture with chilli.

7. Even if udon is cold, the soup retains a quite high temperature. But if you prefer super-hot udon noodle soup, you can add the noodles to the broth, bring it to a boil, then transfer to the serving bowl.