NABEYAKI UDON SOUP RECIPES

Steps:

• Make dashi: In a 3.5 to 4-quart donabe or Dutch oven, add 9 cups of cold water and kombu. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. As soon as the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat. Add bonito flakes and let stand for 2 minutes without stirring. Remove the kombu and bonito flakes using a mesh sieve. The kombu and bonito flakes can be reused to make a lighter, but still delicious dashi by simmering in 4 cups of water. Otherwise, discard.   Bring dashi to a simmer over medium heat and add soy sauce, mirin, and salt. Add chicken, squash, mushrooms, and scallion whites. Cook for 6 minutes. Add kamaboko, snow peas, spinach, scallion greens, and eggs. Cook for 2 minutes, gently stirring occasionally. Add udon noodles. Serve with a sprinkle of shichimi togarashi, if you’d like.

Steps:

• Place sardines or kombu in a large Dutch oven or donabe, fill with 6 cups water, and set aside at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, cook spinach in a medium pot of boiling salted water until just cooked through, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels. Gently squeeze water from spinach, then transfer to a cutting board and cut into 2" slices. Transfer to a plate. Return liquid to a boil, add snow peas, and cook until just cooked through, about 1 minute. Drain and transfer to plate with spinach. Wipe out pot and reserve.
• Bring sardine liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat. Using slotted spoon, discard sardines, then reduce heat to medium. Add chicken and simmer until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, tofu (if using), soy sauce, mirin, and remaining 3/4 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring, until mushrooms are tender, 3–5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook udon in reserved pot 2 minutes less than package directions.
• Bring chicken mixture to a simmer. Drain noodles and add immediately to pot. Add spinach, snow peas, scallions, and fish cake (if using), arranging each into sections and leaving an opening for egg.
• Gently beat eggs in a small bowl with a whisk or chopsticks. Pour into broth and cook until just set, about 2 minutes.
• Serve soup immediately in pot tableside, portioning into individual bowls.