Japanese Curry Udon

5 from 7 votes

This cozy Curry Udon Noodle Soup recipe is the perfect comfort food, featuring thick chewy udon noodles in a deliciously fragrant Japanese curry. It’s a quick and easy one-pot dish that’s perfect for busy weeknights when you’re craving something satisfying!

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Servings:

Calories: 329kcal

Author: Joyce Lee

Ingredients

2 bricks frozen udon noodles
1-2 boneless chicken thighs (cut into 1 inch pieces)
1 carrot (cut into half inch pieces)
1 potato (cut into half in pieces, I like yellow potatoes)
1 small yellow onion (diced)
2 cloves garlic (finely minced or grated)
2 large eggs (for soft boiled eggs)

Japanese Curry Soup

2 cups broth or stock (any kind, no sodium or low sodium)
2-3 blocks Japanese curry blocks (If you have the 92g package, use 3 blocks. If you have the 220g package use 2 blocks)
1½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin

Garnish

1 stalk green onions (finely minced)

Instructions

Prepare the Ingredients

Finely mince 1 stalk green onions and set this aside for later as a garnish. Discard the root end.
Wash the 1 potato and 1 carrot and chop them into half-inch pieces. We are cutting them smaller so that they can cook more quickly.
(I don't peel my carrots and potatoes, but if you like you can peel them before you cut them)
Next, peel 1 small yellow onion and dice the onions into half inch pieces and set it aside.
Peel and finely mince or grate 2 cloves garlic and set it aside.
(Important: The curry blocks are not all the same size, depending on what size package you bought. If you bought the 92g package of curry blocks, use 3 blocks. If you bought the 220g package, use 2 blocks instead)
Remove the Japanese curry blocks from the packaging and finely chop them into small pieces. This will help it dissolve more easily in the stock.
Cut the chicken into 1 inch size pieces and sprinkle a bit of salt on it, this will help the chicken brown more easily. Set it aside.

Make the Curry Udon Noodle Soup

Set a pot over the stove and set it to medium heat.
Add a bit of oil, add the chopped carrots and potatoes, and cook them for about 2-3 minutes.
Add in the chicken and brown it until it is about 50% done. This will take about 2-3 minutes.
Add in the diced onions and garlic and cook it for another 1-2 minutes
Push aside all the vegetables and chicken to the side of the pot, and add the chopped curry roux blocks, and half the stock.
Gently stir the curry blocks until they have fully dissolved.
Add in the rest of the stock and stir everything together.
Set the stove to medium-low heat and let everything simmer (with the lid on) for 15-20 minutes or until the carrots and potatoes are soft.

Make the Soft Boiled Eggs

Put a small pot of water over the stove on high heat and wait for the water to boil.
Once the water has boiled, gently add in the eggs with a spoon. This will help prevent it from cracking in the water.
Cook the eggs for 6 ½ minutes for soft boiled eggs.
Once the eggs are done, add it into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process.
When the eggs are cool, crack and peel the eggs and cut the eggs lengthwise in half.
(I like to add the cracked eggs back into the cold water for a few seconds, because I find it helps the eggs peel more easily.)

Prepare the Udon

Place the frozen brick of udon into a colander and run cold tap water over it until it has thawed and softened from its brick form.
Once the potatoes and carrots in the soup are soft, the curry soup is done. To test for doneness I use a knife to pierce the carrots.
Add the udon noodles into the soup and cook it for 30 seconds to 1 minute to warm them up.

Put Everything Together

Place the noodles in a serving bowl, ladle the curry soup over it, and top it with green onions and the halved soft boiled eggs. Enjoy!

Notes

Check the Japanese Curry Blocks Package Size: There are 2 different package sizes if you buy the S&B brand. 92g and 220g. If you bought the 92g box, use 3 blocks for this recipe. If you bought the 220g box, use 2 blocks instead.

Choose the Right Udon Noodles: For the best texture, use frozen udon noodles. They provide a thick, chewy consistency that tastes incredible. Vacuum-packed udon noodles are a good alternative.

Prep Your Ingredients To Bite-Sized Pieces: Finely dice your onions and garlic, and chop potatoes and carrots into small, half-inch pieces for quicker cooking. Remember, the smaller the pieces, the faster they'll cook.

Don't Overcook Your Udon Noodles: To maintain their chewiness, add the udon noodles to the curry soup and cook for only about 30 seconds to a minute. Overcooking can lead to mushy noodles.

Top It Off With an Egg: For a delicious topping that looks great too, add a soft-boiled egg or a sunny-side-up fried egg.

Tweak the Curry To The Consistency You Like: If you prefer a thinner curry soup consistency, add more stock but make sure to adjust the soy and mirin for a balanced flavor. To get the cozy thick curry, leave it as the way the recipe is.

Nutrition