This easy Kare Udon (Japanese Curry Udon Soup) only takes about 15 minutes to make! It features chewy, slurpable udon noodles with a protein of your choice in a rich, thick curry-infused broth. This recipe is a great baseline, and you can definitely customize and make adjustments to suit your preferences.
Japanese curry udon (kare udon カレーうどん) is an easy and comforting curry noodle soup. It utilizes chewy udon noodles in a thick, intensely flavorful broth. Many of its main ingredients can be stocked in your pantry, fridge, or freezer, making this a simple recipe to make whenever the craving hits.
It may not be as popular as Japanese curry rice, but this one pot dish is the perfect combination of a cozy udon soup and Japanese curry. It's also easy to make this recipe vegetarian, and based on the curry roux you select, you can modify the spice level as well.
Ingredient notes
- Udon Noodles: The udon noodles in these photos are my homemade udon noodles (they're cut by hand which is why they look more rustic and imperfect), but you can of course use store-bought noodles here. If using store-bought udon, the preferable options are frozen or parboiled (precooked) fresh noodles (ideally "Sanuki-style" udon noodles). You'll find these in the refrigerated or frozen sections of Asian markets. Because they're already cooked, you can add them directly into your curry udon to just heat them through! Dry noodles can work but are less preferable, as they're flat and less chewy.
- Dashi: Dashi is a popular type of stock in Japanese cuisine. It's made with kombu (edible kelp) and bonito flakes (dried, shaved fish flakes). Although you can absolutely make homemade dashi for this recipe, you can also take a shortcut! Use instant dashi powder which simply requires you to mix it with hot water (this is what I've used in these photos). You can also use vegetarian instant dashi powder if you're making a vegetarian curry udon. In a pinch you could use broth (vegetable or chicken for example) but the flavor profile will be different.
- Japanese Curry Roux: Japanese curry roux is a solidified mixture of fat, flour, and curry spices which is used as an easy and convenient way to make homemade Japanese curry. It's shelf-stable and comes in packages with cubes or pieces that you can cut or break apart (kind of like a thick chocolate bar). There are many brands with varying flavors, package sizes, and spice levels. Some popular brands include Golden Curry, Vermont Curry, Java Curry, and Kokumaro. Generally speaking, Japanese curry is less spicy than some other styles of curries. I find that the medium hot has a nice kick but isn't too spicy.
- Protein: Use whatever protein you want or have on hand for this easy and versatile curry udon. Some options include thinly sliced chicken, beef or pork, or ground chicken, turkey, beef or pork. Tofu is a great vegetarian option, but you could also skip the protein altogether and just add more veggies. I've also had great results making curry udon with pieces of leftover rotisserie chicken or omitting the other proteins entirely and simply topping with a halved boiled egg!
- Vegetables: This basic recipe includes sliced onion in the soup and a finish of sliced scallions. You can definitely add other vegetables too! I love adding sliced carrots to my curry udon for a delicious and colorful variation. You can also include cubed potatoes. Add the firmer veggies once your dashi comes to a boil, cover and cook a bit longer until tender. Then uncover, add the curry roux and proceed as directed.
How to make it
For two servings of soup, cut two curry roux cubes into a few smaller pieces. This will help them dissolve more easily.
Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add sliced onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes (PHOTO 1). Then add the protein of your choice, stirring to cook until lightly browned and just cooked through, another 3 to 4 minutes depending on the protein. I use ground pork in the photos (PHOTO 2).
Pour in dashi and raise the heat to bring it to a boil (PHOTO 3). And the curry roux pieces to the pot, being careful to fully dissolve each one (whisk if necessary). This will add the primary flavoring and also thicken the broth (PHOTO 4).
Once all the curry roux is dissolved, add the fresh (parboiled) or frozen udon noodles (frozen will take longer to heat through). Stir and jiggle around the noodles to break them up as needed (they shouldn’t take long to refresh) (PHOTOS 5-6).
Allow the kare udon mixture to simmer briefly to ensure the noodles heat through. Taste and add soy sauce, if desired, and give it a final stir.
Divide evenly into bowls and garnish with sliced scallions. Serve immediately.
Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
Expert tips
Store leftover curry udon in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You may want to thin it out with a bit of water or dashi when you reheat it as the gravy can thicken more as it sits.
As I mentioned above, curry udon is extremely customizable. If you have udon noodles in your fridge or freezer, instant dashi packets, and some Japanese curry roux, you can whip up some curry udon at the drop of a hat. I've used leftover cooked chicken before (rather than cooking raw meat), or you can easily add some extra veggies instead of the meat (carrots, broccoli, and cabbage are a few ideas) to make a veggie-forward version instead.
Keep in mind that different brands of Japanese curry roux come in different sizes, so the cubes within the package offer slightly different amounts. Two cubes is a general baseline for how much curry yields a moderately thick broth, however you can add more. If you thicken it too much, you can easily thin it out again with more dashi or some water.
I've had kare udon with a thinner broth and also a thicker broth bordering on gravy consistency, and it's truly delicious either way. It just depends on what you like!
Other recipes you may like
- Japanese Curry Chicken Dumplings
- Homemade Udon Noodles
- Yaki Udon (Japanese Stir-Fried Udon Noodles)
- Beef Teriyaki Udon Noodles
- Saimin (Hawaiian Noodle Soup)
- Ants Climbing a Tree
- Ram-Don from Parasite (Jjapaguri with Steak)
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also follow me on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Kare Udon (Japanese Curry Udon Soup)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon neutral flavored oil such as vegetable or canola oil
- 1 small onion thinly sliced
- 6 ounces (170 grams) protein of your choice (such as ground beef or pork, or thinly sliced chicken breast or pork loin)
- 3 cups dashi (made from scratch with bonito flakes and kombu or with instant dashi powder)
- 2 small cubes Japanese curry roux (about 50 to 60 grams depending on the brand) or equivalent homemade
- 1.1 pounds (500 grams) udon noodles frozen or parboiled fresh (or about 300 grams uncooked homemade udon noodles, boiled, drained, and rinsed)
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce (optional)
- 2 scallions thinly sliced for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Then add the protein of your choice, stirring to cook until lightly browned and just cooked through, another 3 to 4 minutes depending on the protein.
- Pour in the dashi and raise the heat to bring it to a boil. Cut the curry roux into a few smaller pieces and add them to the pot, being careful to fully dissolve each one. This will add the primary flavoring and also thicken the broth.
- Once all the curry roux is dissolved, add the fresh (parboiled) or frozen udon noodles (frozen will take longer to heat through). Stir and jiggle around the noodles to break them up as needed (they are pre-cooked so shouldn’t take long to refresh).
- Allow the mixture to simmer briefly so ensure the noodles are heated through. Taste and add the soy sauce, if desired, and give it a final stir.
- Divide the mixture evenly into bowls and garnish with sliced scallions. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Udon Noodles: The udon noodles in these photos are my homemade udon noodles (they're cut by hand which is why they look more rustic and imperfect), but you can of course use store-bought noodles here. If using store-bought udon, the preferable options are frozen or parboiled (precooked) fresh noodles (ideally "Sanuki-style" udon noodles). You'll find these in the refrigerated or frozen sections of Asian markets. Because they're already cooked, you can add them directly into your curry udon to just heat them through! Dry noodles can work but are less preferable, as they're flat and less chewy.
- Dashi: Dashi is a popular type of stock in Japanese cuisine. It's made with kombu (edible kelp) and bonito flakes (dried, shaved fish flakes). Although you can absolutely make homemade dashi for this recipe, you can also take a shortcut! Use instant dashi powder which simply requires you to mix it with hot water (this is what I've used in these photos). You can also use vegetarian instant dashi powder if you're making a vegetarian curry udon. In a pinch you could use broth (vegetable or chicken for example) but the flavor profile will be different.
- Japanese Curry Roux: Japanese curry roux is a solidified mixture of fat, flour, and curry spices which is used as an easy and convenient way to make homemade Japanese curry. It's shelf-stable and comes in packages with cubes or pieces that you can cut or break apart (kind of like a thick chocolate bar). There are many brands with varying flavors, package sizes, and spice levels. Some popular brands include Golden Curry, Vermont Curry, Java Curry, and Kokumaro. Generally speaking, Japanese curry is less spicy than some other styles of curries. I find that the medium hot has a nice kick but isn't too spicy.
- Protein: Use whatever protein you want or have on hand for this easy and versatile curry udon. Some options include thinly sliced chicken, beef or pork, or ground chicken, turkey, beef or pork. Tofu is a great vegetarian option, but you could also skip the protein altogether and just add more veggies. I've also had great results making curry udon with pieces of leftover rotisserie chicken or omitting the other proteins entirely and simply topping with a halved boiled egg!
- Vegetables: This basic recipe includes sliced onion in the soup and a finish of sliced scallions. You can definitely add other vegetables too! I love adding sliced carrots to my curry udon for a delicious and colorful variation. You can also include cubed potatoes. Add the firmer veggies once your dashi comes to a boil, cover and cook a bit longer until tender. Then uncover, add the curry roux and proceed as directed.
Nutrition
*All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.*
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