Miso Udon Noodle Soup (Miso Nikomi Udon)

By
Setsuko Yoshizuka
Setsuko Yoshizuka
Setsuko Yoshizuka is a freelance food writer and Japanese cookbook author.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/26/22
Tested by
Diana Andrews
Headshot of Diana Andrews
Tested by Diana Andrews
Diana earned her B.A. in Fine Art at Queens College and her culinary certification from the Institute of Culinary Education. Diana has served as head recipe developer and editor for Emmy-nominated PBS series Moveable Feast, food editor and test kitchen manager at Fine Cooking Magazine, and recipe developer, and product tester at Food Network.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Miso Udon Noodle Soup (Miso Nikomi Udon) in a pot

The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 35 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
901 Calories
43g Fat
41g Carbs
94g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 901
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 43g 55%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Cholesterol 305mg 102%
Sodium 1763mg 77%
Total Carbohydrate 41g 15%
Dietary Fiber 5g 18%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 94g
Vitamin C 3mg 15%
Calcium 711mg 55%
Iron 9mg 51%
Potassium 1436mg 31%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Miso udon noodle soup, also known as miso nikomi udon in Japanese, is a rustic dish of thick wheat udon noodles simmered in a savory miso broth with various ingredients such as fried tofu (aburaage), fish cake (kamaboko), chicken, and green onions. 

Other ingredients that can easily be incorporated into miso udon noodles soup are napa cabbage leaves, enoki mushrooms, or seafood such as shrimp. Tofu can easily be used to substitute chicken or other meats as well.

The miso broth for miso udon noodle soup is a simple mixture of miso paste and dashi stock. The miso paste may either be white miso paste, red miso, or a combination of both types of miso known in Japanese as awase miso. Miso is sold either as a straight miso paste or as a miso paste with added dashi flavor. When making this dish, make sure to make minor adjustments for miso that is pre-seasoned with dashi.

The dashi stock is needed to season the broth, especially when traditional miso paste without the added pre-seasoned dashi is used. As far as the type of dashi stock that is used in this recipe, either bonito (katsuo) stock or kelp (konbu) stock may be used. If you will not be preparing homemade stock for use in this recipe, an alternative is to use a dried dashi powder. Both bonito and kelp stock is available in dried dashi powder form at Japanese and Asian grocery stores.

“This Miso Udon Noodle Soup was a complete one-pot meal. The chicken thigh cooked very quickly and added richness to the dashi broth. The deep-fried tofu and egg made the soup extra-hearty and delicious because the tofu absorbed the broth, and the egg lent a creamy mouthfeel. Overall, incredibly satisfying for such a simple dish!” — Diana Andrews

Miso Udon Noodle Soup (Miso Nikomi Udon)/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces frozen udon noodles

  • 1 cup dashi stock

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons miso

  • 2 teaspoons sake

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • 1 small skinless, boneless chicken thigh, cut into bite-size pieces

  • 1/2 piece aburaage (deep-fried tofu), sliced into 1/2-inch-wide strips

  • 2 inches leek, or green onions, diagonally sliced

  • 2 slices kamaboko (fish cake), optional

  • 1 large egg, optional

  • Hichimi togarashi (Japanese 7-spice chili powder), for garnish, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Miso Udon Noodle Soup (Miso Nikomi Udon) ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  2. Cook the udon noodles in a medium pot of boiling water for 2 minutes.

    Udon noodles cooking in a pot on a burner

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  3. Drain well and set aside.

    Udon noodles in a colander

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  4. In a medium earthenware pot, or other medium heavy-duty pot, add the dashi stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium.

    Dashi in an earthenware pot on a burner

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  5. Add the miso paste to the broth by first dissolving the miso with a bit of the dashi broth in a small bowl.

    Miso paste and dashi broth in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  6. Then, pour the miso mixture into the broth, stirring to combine.

    Miso and broth mixture in the pot on a burner

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  7. Add sake and sugar to the miso broth. Bring to a boil over high heat.

    Sake and sugar added to the miso broth in the pot, on the burner

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  8. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chicken and stir occasionally until cooked through.

    Chicken and miso broth in a pot on a burner

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  9. Add udon noodles and increase the heat to medium-high.

    Udon and chicken with miso broth in a pot on a burner

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  10. Add sliced aburaage (fried tofu), green onion, and the kamaboko (fish cake), if using.

    Sliced aburaage (fried tofu), green onion, and the kamaboko in a pot with udon soup on a burner

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  11. Add the egg, if using, cover, and cook until the egg white is opaque, the yolk is cooked to your liking, and the noodles are tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

    Egg added to the Udon soup in the pot on a burner

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  12. Serve the miso udon noodle soup in the earthenware pot, or alternatively, transfer to a bowl, garnish with the togarashi, if using, and serve.

    Miso Udon Noodle Soup (Miso Nikomi Udon) in a pot

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

Tips

  • A general rule of thumb for using dried dashi powder is 1/4 teaspoon of powder to 1 cup of water.
  • The only special equipment you may need is an earthenware bowl for cooking the miso udon noodle soup. Alternatively, use a heavy-duty saucepan, then transfer the soup to your bowl of choice.

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