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A straight-on view of a large shallow colorful bowl filled with udon noodle soup with pork including two halves of hard boiled eggs and Chinese cabbage in the soup.

Udon Noodle Soup with Pork

Course: Appetizer or Soup
Cuisine: Japanese
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Cooking and chilling broth: 6 hours
Total Time: 6 hours 35 minutes
Calories: 645kcal
Author: Kris Longwell
This soup is so comforting and it's all because of the deeply flavorful broth. The broth can be made up to 3 days in advance. Chill and then easily scrape off any congealed fat from the surface of the broth. Udon noodles can be found in Asian markets or online. Adapt the soup components to your tastes.
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • 1 Large pot 8 QT, for simmering the broth
  • 1 Large skillet 12-inch, or stock pot for preparing the soup

Ingredients

For the Broth (Do Ahead)

  • 4 lbs beef short ribs or beef shanks
  • 2 medium onions peeled and quartered
  • 1 medium carrot peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1 medium cinnamon stick don't use ground
  • 1 3-inch piece ginger fresh

For the Soup

  • 1 lb pork tenderloin
  • 4 whole eggs
  • ½ lb Udon noodles fresh, or ¼ lb dried noodles
  • 2 quarts beef broth
  • 1 large carrot peeled and julienned
  • 3½ oz shiitake mushrooms stems removed and sliced
  • 5 oz enoki mushrooms cut into smaller portions (if connected)
  • 1 tablespoon ginger fresh, minced
  • 2 red chilis
  • ¼ cup mirin
  • 2 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 2 medium Chinese cabbage or baby bok choy
  • 2 bunches scallions chopped, plus extra for garnish
  • 2 tablespoon sesame seeds toasted

Instructions

Do Ahead - Prepare the Broth

  • In a large pot, add the short ribs, onions, carrots, cinnamon stick, and ginger. Cover with 2½ quarts (10 cups) of water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours. Add more water if needed to keep the ingredients covered. Let cool, remove the bones, pull off the meat, and keep for another use. Strain into a pot and chill for 3 hours, or overnight. Use a spoon to remove any solid, congealed fat from the surface. Store the broth until ready to use.
    4 lbs beef short ribs, 2 medium onions, 1 medium carrot, 1 medium cinnamon stick, 1 3-inch piece ginger

Make the Soup

  • Place the pork in the freezer for about 20 minutes.
    1 lb pork tenderloin
  • To cook the eggs, add enough water to a pot to cover the eggs. Bring to a boil and then gently lower the eggs into the water. Boil for exactly 8 minutes then remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl filled with cool water. Set aside.
    4 whole eggs
  • Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. If using fresh udon, carefully add the udon and boil for about 1 minute. If using dried, cook until just tender, usually about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain into a colander and rinse with cool water. Set aside.
    ½ lb Udon noodles
  • Remove the pork from the freezer and slice it against the grain into thin slices, then cut those slices into smaller strips. Set aside.
  • Add the broth to a large skillet (or pot) and bring to a simmer.
    2 quarts beef broth
  • Increase the heat to high, and add the carrots, shiitake and enoki mushrooms, ginger, chilis, mirin, soy sauce, sugar, and salt, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. While the soup is simmering, peel the eggs.
    1 large carrot, 3½ oz shiitake mushrooms, 5 oz enoki mushrooms, 1 tablespoon ginger, 2 red chilis, ¼ cup mirin, 2 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • Add the pork and cook for another couple of minutes. Stir in the cooked noodles, cabbage, and scallions. Simmer until the cabbage has started to wilt, about another 3 minutes.
    2 medium Chinese cabbage, 2 bunches scallions
  • Remove from the heat and remove the chilis. Taste and add more soy (or salt) if desired. Ladle into bowls. Slice the eggs in half and place them on top of the soups. Garnish with additional chopped scallions and sesame seeds.
    2 tablespoon sesame seeds

Video

Notes

See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance. If you liked this video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. 
If you can't find udon noodles or enoki mushrooms, go with any type of ramen noodles, rice noodles, or even egg noodles. Use your favorite type of mushrooms for the soup.
Leftovers will keep in the fridge (covered) for up to 1 week. Reheat on the stove over medium heat until simmering and heated through. 

Nutrition

Calories: 645kcal | Carbohydrates: 128g | Protein: 210g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 621mg | Sodium: 702mg | Potassium: 752mg | Fiber: 33g | Sugar: 64g | Vitamin A: 798IU | Vitamin C: 199mg | Calcium: 918mg | Iron: 53mg