Satisfy your noodle cravings with a warm bowl of curry udon soup. Bursting with flavor and full of slurp-worthy noodles, it can be on your table in about 30 minutes.

I first tried curry udon soup at one of our favorite sushi restaurants. It was amazing…warm, thick, loaded with noodles, and so satisfying! My mind instantly started trying to figure out how I could recreate this soup at home. I knew there were three basic ingredients; udon noodles, curry, and chicken. So that is where I started, and I built the recipe from there.

One of the keys to this recipe is curry. This is not powdered curry or Indian curry that you would buy in the spice section of your grocery store. The curry used in this dish is Japanese curry, which is quite different from powdered curry. Japanese curry often has a thick gravy-like texture. The flavor is sweeter than the Indian variety and is umami-rich (a taste often described as meaty, broth-like, or savory). You can find Japanese curry in the Asian aisle of the grocery store. It’s usually sold in large square blocks that you will dissolve in your dish.

Another key ingredient is the udon noodles. Typically there are three ways to buy udon noodles; dried (like typical pasta), frozen and fresh. And yes, some options are much better than others, way better, in fact. I would never recommend buying dried udon noodles; when cooked, they do not have the texture that udon is known and loved for. I actually would avoid buying udon altogether if dried was my only option. Frozen is a step up from dried and most brands are pretty good. But fresh udon is the absolute best way to buy udon. And I don’t usually promote brands on my blog, but fresh Sun Noodles are by far the best I’ve found. Since they are fresh, they are sold in the refrigeration section. They will expire quicker than dried or frozen, usually within a couple of weeks of buying, so take note of the date. Follow the cooking directions on the package of whichever you buy. Fresh udon is only boiled for a couple of minutes, drained, and then rinsed in cool water to stop the cooking. Rinsing also removes some of the starch and prevents the noodles from sticking together. You want your noodles to have a chewy texture, not mushy, so take care not to overcook them.

I chose to use chicken for this soup. That’s how I first had it, so it’s how I recreated the dish. But I have also seen curry udon with thin-cut beef, pork, and no meat. So don’t be afraid to mix it up and try different meats.

Curry Udon Soup

Satisfy your noodle cravings with a warm bowl of curry udon soup. Bursting with flavor and full of slurp-worthy noodles, it can be on your table in about 30 minutes.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Course Soup

Servings servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, sliced
1 pound chicken, boneless and skinless
4 – 5 cups chicken broth, depending on how thick you want the soup, (see notes)
Curry, (I use half a package + 1 square of S&B Golden Curry, this equals 5 small squares)
21-28 ounces udon noodles, fresh or frozen (preferably fresh Sun Udon Noodles)
Green onion, for garnish

Instructions

Slice the onion. Add the oil to a deep frying pan or pot, and add the sliced onions. Fry over medium-high heat until starting to turn translucent, about 5 minutes.
While onions are frying, cut up the chicken into bite-size pieces. Then, add the chicken to the frying pan and cook for 10 minutes.
Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.
Once the chicken broth is boiling, add the curry. Stir until the curry is completely dissolved in the broth, about 5 minutes.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the udon noodles as instructed on the package (discard any sauce that came with the noodles). When noodles are done, drain and rinse in cool water. This helps to stop the cooking and keeps the noodles from sticking together.
To serve, place noodles in individual bowls and ladle curry mixture over the top. Garnish with sliced green onions.

Notes

4 cups of broth give you a very creamy, thick soup. 5 cups of broth give it a more soup-like texture.

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Rich, thick, and creamy…just as a good curry should be! And to make something good even better, this recipe is loaded with chicken and lots of vegetables to make for a complete meal in one bowl! So grab a spoon and dig in!!

I love a good curry! But not just any curry; I like my curry thick, creamy, and full of meat and vegetables. So I made a lot of adjustments to this recipe until it was just the way I liked it. And I think you will too!

Let’s talk about the ingredients…

Panang curry paste: You certainly can make this from scratch. *Confession* – I have not even attempted to. I love the Panang curry paste that I use so much that I have not even thought about trying something else…Maybe someday I’ll try to make it from scratch, but for now, I use canned Panang curry paste.

Panang curry is usually less spicy than traditional red curry because it uses fewer red chilies, but there’s still a distinct kick of spiciness to it. Panang curry pastes vary somewhat from brand to brand. Still, they typically include dried chili peppers, ginger, lemongrass, kaffir lime zest, kaffir lime leaves, coriander root, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds.

Coconut milk: I’ve tried many different coconut milk brands; I’ve used organic and lite or low-fat coconut milk. I have sat on the grocery store floor and compared ingredients labels until my head hurt (seriously, I have). I have learned that there is a big difference between the various cans of coconut milk. So it’s worth choosing carefully. My first goal in choosing canned coconut milk is to avoid all the unnecessary added ingredients. The only canned coconut milk I will buy has three ingredients; coconut, purified water, and guar gum. Guar gum is a thickener and a food binder and is a common food additive. Some brands add color retainers, stabilizers, additional thickeners, and preservatives. To avoid all the other added ingredients, you may have to buy organic.

When buying canned coconut milk, the other choice you have to make is deciding between regular and lite (sometimes called low fat). I have tried using lite or low-fat coconut milk in my curries, and I have never liked the results. The curry is less flavorful and watery, not at all thick and creamy. I have also discovered that the lite coconut milk always has more additives to make up for the less fat, essentially creating a “false” creaminess using artificial ingredients…yuk! So if you want a full-flavored, creamy curry, you must buy regular coconut milk! You won’t regret it!

Fish sauce: For those not familiar with fish sauce, it is a liquid condiment made from fish or krill that has been coated in salt and fermented for up to two years. It is used as a staple seasoning in East Asian cuisine and Southeast Asian cuisine. It has a strong, pungent smell that can be off-putting, but fish sauce is essential in creating authentic Asian flavored dishes. When used correctly, it enhances and complements the dish’s flavors and does not overpower or stand out. Sugar is often used, as it is in this recipe, to balance the strong salty taste of the fish sauce.

Bamboo: I discovered edible bamboo only a few years ago and thought it would go great in curry. Bamboo shoots have a texture similar to water chestnuts with a mild flavor. And not only are they delicious, but they are also good for you as well as a healthy source of fiber.

Thai Basil: Thai basil has purple stems, and its leaves are narrower and perkier than its Italian cousin. Bury your nose in a bunch of Thai basil, and you’ll smell anise, not pesto. Flavor-wise, it’s spicier and bolder, too. If you can’t get your hands on Thai basil, you can use Italian, but it will give you a slightly different taste. We usually have a bush of Thai basil growing in our garden, so it’s easy to go to our garden and pick a handful.

You certainly are not limited to the ingredients listed here. You can get creative with this curry and make it your own. There are so many things you could add to this curry. I have used long beans, green beans (only fresh, not canned), potatoes, carrots, and zucchini. You could even change the meat and use pork, beef, or fish.