Zaru Udon 竹篩冷烏冬

Zaru Udon is a classic Japanese dish featuring chilled udon noodles served on a bamboo straining basket (zaru) with a side of cold tsuyu (dipping sauce). It's a refreshing and simple meal, especially popular in warmer weather, often garnished with finely chopped green onions, grated ginger, and shredded nori seaweed.

Nutrition (per serving)

Ingredients

• Dried Udon noodles
• Water (for dashi)
• Kombu (dried kelp)
• Katsuobushi (bonito flakes)
• Soy Sauce
• Mirin
• Sugar
• Green onions (scallions)
• Grated ginger
• Nori seaweed (shredded)

Steps

1. Prepare Dashi: Add water and kombu to a pot. Bring to a gentle boil, then remove the kombu.
2. Make Tsuyu Base: Add katsuobushi to the dashi. Turn off the heat and let it steep.
3. Strain Dashi: Strain the dashi through a fine-mesh sieve to remove katsuobushi.
4. Finish Tsuyu: Return the strained dashi to the pot. Add soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then immediately turn off the heat. Let it cool completely.
5. Prepare Garnish: Finely chop green onions. Prepare grated ginger and shredded nori seaweed.
6. Boil Udon: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add udon noodles and cook according to package instructions until al dente.
7. Chill Udon: Drain the cooked udon noodles and rinse thoroughly under cold running water until completely chilled. Drain well.
8. Serve: Arrange the chilled udon noodles on a zaru (bamboo straining basket) or a plate. Serve with the cooled tsuyu dipping sauce and garnishes (green onions, grated ginger, nori seaweed) on the side.

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