Udon Noodle Soup (Kake Udon)

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1. 1Step 1: In a medium saucepan, add 2⅓ cups dashi, 1 Tbsp mirin, 1 tsp sugar, 1½ Tbsp soy sauce, and ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
2. 2Step 2: Bring the broth to a gentle simmer. Once simmering, remove the pot from the heat. Cover with a lid and set aside.
3. 3Step 3: For the quick broth (optional): Follow the instructions on your bottle of concentrated mentsuyu for the correct dilution ratio for noodle soup broth.
4. 4Step 4: Combine the water, mentsuyu, and mirin in a medium saucepan. For the brand of mentsuyu that I use, I add 2⅓ cups water, ⅓ cup mentsuyu, and 1 Tbsp mirin. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, remove the pot from the heat. Cover with a lid and set aside.
5. 5Step 5: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When the water comes to a full rolling boil, add 2 servings udon noodles and cook according to the package instructions. The brand of frozen udon noodles I use requires reheating them for 1 minute. Using chopsticks, stir the noodles to loosen them up. For fresh noodles, see the cooking instructions in my Homemade Udon Noodles recipe.
6. 6Step 6: When the noodles are done, drain them in a colander or scoop them up with a fine-mesh strainer. Serve the hot udon noodles in individual bowls.
7. 7Step 7: Pour the hot broth over the noodles and top with thinly sliced green onion and shichimi togarashi for a spicy kick (optional). For a more substantial lunch or dinner, you can top it with tempura, beef, fish cake and toasted mochi, tofu, Inari age, or vegetables.
8. 8Step 8: You can keep the udon noodles and broth separately in airtight containers and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.