Comforting udon noodle soup in a savory curry broth with shredded chicken, mushrooms, and fried tofu. This Japanese chicken curry udon noodle soup is simple, delicious, and perfect for a cold winter day.
Some days, I’m just in need of a little comfort food.
When it comes to the winter months, I almost always want warm soupy meals. So you’re definitely going to see more of that these next few weeks.
I miss going out to eat and enjoying the cozy atmosphere of some of my favorite restaurants. I miss meeting up with friends and enjoying a good meal. And even though we’re steps closer to being able to do all that, we’re not quite there yet. So while we’re hanging in there until the day we can meet up again, I’m at home attempting to replicate some of my favorite meals. It’ll never be the same as the authentic, flavor packed meals that we find at restaurants. But it will have to do for now.
Today, I wanted to share with you this Japanese Chicken Curry Udon Noodle Soup.
I don’t make my own curry paste or curry powder. Mostly because I don’t have all the ingredients on hand. And I don’t like to buy ingredients that I won’t use often or much of. So for this recipe, it’s as simple as it could be using curry roux that you can find at the grocery store in the Asian section.
What I love is that the curry is so warm and comforting. It’s packed full of flavor. Add shredded chicken, mushrooms, veggies, and fried tofu, and you have a delicious meal. Plus, it doesn’t take long to make at all. So after a long day at work, this Japanese Chicken Curry Udon Noodle Soup is the perfect meal.
In a small pot, add a pack of dashi with water over low to medium heat. Stir to thoroughly mix. Allow the dashi stock to come to a boil and set aside for now. I use either bonito dashi or kombu dashi. Either works well.
To remove some of the excess oil in the aburaage tofu, or fried tofu skin pouches, just boil or soak it in hot water then squeeze out the excess water. Slice the aburaage tofu into ½ inch slices. If you can’t find aburaage tofu, you can also just use fried tofu and slice them thin. Set aside for now.
In a medium sized pot, add olive oil over low to medium heat. Once the oil has heated, add sliced onions and garlic. Cook until aromatic and golden brown. Add sliced mushrooms and carrots and cook until the carrots are tender. Pour the dashi into the pot. Then stir in soy sauce, sake, sugar, and curry roux blocks until combined dissolved.
In a small bowl, mix together potato starch and water. Stir this into the pot to thicken the soup.
When ready to serve, add frozen or dry udon to the pot and cook according to the package. Remove the udon from the pot and transfer over to the serving bowls.
Stir the aburaage tofu and shredded chicken into the soup and allow it to warm up before ladling the soup over the udon noodles.
Serve the Japanese chicken curry udon noodle soup warm. Garnish with chopped scallions or fried onions as desired.
Enjoy!
- 1 package bonito or kombu dashi powder
- 3 cups water
- 2 pouches aburaage tofu
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 2 garlic, minced
- 1 ½ cups sliced mushrooms
- ½ small carrot, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sake
- 1-2 blocks curry roux
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon potato starch
- 2 tablespoons water
- ¾ cup shredded chicken
- 2 servings udon noodles
- chopped scallions
- chili peppers
- In a small pot, add a pack of dashi with water over low to medium heat. Stir to thoroughly mix. Allow the dashi stock to come to a boil and set aside for now. I use either bonito dashi or kombu dashi. Either works well.
- To remove some of the excess oil in the aburaage tofu, or fried tofu skin pouches, just boil or soak it in hot water then squeeze out the excess water. Slice the aburaage tofu into ½ inch slices. If you can’t find aburaage tofu, you can also just use fried tofu and slice them thin. Set aside for now.
- In a medium sized pot, add olive oil over low to medium heat. Once the oil has heated, add sliced onions and garlic. Cook until aromatic and golden brown. Add sliced mushrooms and carrots and cook until the carrots are tender. Pour the dashi into the pot. Then stir in soy sauce, sake, sugar, and curry roux blocks until combined dissolved.
- In a small bowl, mix together potato starch and water. Stir this into the pot to thicken the soup.
- When ready to serve, add frozen or dry udon to the pot and cook according to the package. Remove the udon from the pot and transfer over to the serving bowls.
- Stir the aburaage tofu and shredded chicken into the soup and allow it to warm up before ladling the soup over the udon noodles.
- Serve the Japanese chicken curry udon noodle soup warm. Garnish with chopped scallions or fried onions as desired.
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