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Nabeyaki Udon Soup With Chicken, Spinach, and Mushrooms

By Keiko Ohtao

4.2

(6)

A twohandled clay pot filled with udon chicken spinach mushrooms tofu and egg.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks

Although this soup is often served in American restaurants topped with fancy ingredients such as shrimp tempura, in Japan it is a simple weeknight dinner that comes together quickly and usually features a few classic ingredients. I used to make this version, fortified with dried sardines for additional flavor and nutrients, for my children when they were sick. If you are preparing the soup using a traditional Japanese donabe (ceramic pot), keep in mind that the udon noodles will continue to cook even after the pot is removed from the heat, so do not overcook the noodles when boiling them the first time.

Cooks' Note

Fried tofu (aburaage) and Japanese fish cake are available at Asian markets and some specialty grocery stores.

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