Udon soup is a classic Japanese comfort food dish. Thick chewy noodles tucked into a flavorful, warm broth and topped with stir-fried elk and oyster mushrooms (or whatever toppings you want!) - what's not to love? It's time to bust out the chopsticks and dig in!
Jump to:
- Ingredients Needed:
- Equipment Needed:
- What are udon noodles?
- What is the difference between udon and ramen?
- How to cut oyster mushrooms:
- How to slice venison for stir fry:
- How to make broth for elk udon soup:
- What toppings do you put on udon soup?
- Putting it all together:
- Can't get enough of this elk udon soup? Try these other delicious noodle dishes!
- Did you try this recipe?
- Recipe:
- 📖 Recipe
- Comments
Ingredients Needed:
Broth:
- Elk Bones (I used 1 leg bone and 1 shoulder blade)
- Canola Oil
- Fresh Ginger
- Green Onions
- Dried Mushroom Stems or Dried Mushrooms (oyster, shiitake, etc.)
- Bonito Flakes
- Kombu
- Soy Sauce
- Rice Vinegar
- Water
Other Ingredients:
- Elk Steak or Roast, Thinly Sliced (or venison, moose, antelope, etc.)
- Salt and Pepper
- Oyster Mushrooms (save stems for broth)
- Canola Oil
- Soy Sauce
- Green Onions
- Fresh Cilantro Leaves (optional)
- Udon Noodles
Equipment Needed:
- Stock Pot
- Sauté Pan or Wok
- Fine Mesh Strainer
- Large Glass Bowl or Another Large Pot
- Sheet Pan with Parchment Paper
What are udon noodles?
Udon noodles are thick noodles made from wheat flour. They originated in Japan but are now used in other Asian cuisines as well. Udon noodles are known for their thick and chewy texture. They are often used in soups or stir fry like this spicy venison stir fry. Udon noodles come in various sizes and packaging.
You can make your own or buy them. They come in dried form, shelf stable hydrated form, and refrigerated hydrated form. The dried noodles are often quite a bit thinner than the hydrated ones and don't have the same texture. I prefer to buy the refrigerated ones if I can find them but the shelf-stable hydrated ones are a close second.
What is the difference between udon and ramen?
Udon and ramen are both popular Japanese noodle dishes, but there are a few differences. The size and shape of the noodles are different. Udon noodles are quite a bit thicker than ramen noodles. Udon noodles are typically straight while ramen noodles can be straight or curly depending on the method used to make them.
Ramen noodles traditionally contain egg while udon noodles do not. The dishes made from udon and ramen noodles are often fairly similar but udon soup typically has fewer toppings than ramen.
How to cut oyster mushrooms:
Not all mushrooms are created equal when it comes to cooking. They all have varying moisture levels, flavors, and edible pieces. Oyster mushrooms are a very flavorful mushroom with a tender cap and very tough stem. Because of this, they need extra care when preparing and cooking them. There are a few different ways to separate the caps from the stems which are detailed below.
It may seem like a lot of waste when you remove all the stems, but don't throw them out! In this recipe, we use them to add flavor to the udon broth but you can also dehydrate them and save them for other broths or grind them up for seasoning. See below for how to cut oyster mushrooms:
How to slice venison for stir fry:
The key to a perfect venison stir fry is thin and even slices of meat. The thinner the slice, the more tender it will be. Even slices lead to even cooking. Now, nobody is perfect so don't stress if your slices aren't exactly the same. But, in order to achieve thin and even slices, you need 2 things: a sharp knife and partially frozen meat.
When the meat is partially frozen, it is much easier to handle and slice thinly. With a more rigid structure, you can slice right through it without the meat squishing around making it difficult to slice. (this method also works great for making homemade jerky!) Once you've sliced through your entire roast or steak, place it in a bowl with a few paper towels in the bottom. This will soak up the extra liquid that the meat releases as it thaws. The less liquid you have on the surface of the meat, the easier it will be to brown!
How to make broth for elk udon soup:
Traditionally, udon broth is made from dashi (a simple broth made from kombu, bonito flakes, and water), soy sauce, and mirin. But, I like to do my own thing when making the broth. See below for a quick guide to making flavorful udon broth:
What toppings do you put on udon soup?
Udon soup is typically simpler in terms of toppings when compared to ramen. A protein and maybe 1 or 2 vegetables and some sliced green onions are all you really need! See below for a list of commonly used udon soup toppings:
Protein:
- Red Meat (most popular choice): Wild Game, Beef, etc.
- Pork
- Chicken
- Fish Cakes
- Egg
- Tofu
Vegetables:
- Mushrooms (oyster, shiitake, maitake, etc.)
- Shredded Seaweed
- Bok Choy
- Spinach
- Green Onions
- Cilantro
Putting it all together:
Once you have all your key ingredients, it's time to layer your soup! Start by placing the noodles in the bottom of your bowl. Pour the broth over the noodles until they are mostly covered. Top with your desired meat and/or vegetables. Sprinkle a few sliced green onions over the top and garnish with cilantro, if desired. Tuck some chopsticks in the noodles and dig in!
Can't get enough of this elk udon soup? Try these other delicious noodle dishes!
Spicy Venison Stir Fry with Udon Noodles
Venison Dumpling Soup (ok this isn't a noodle dish, but you're going to love it!)
Did you try this recipe?
Let us know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Thank you!
Annie
Recipe:
📖 Recipe
Elk Udon Noodle Soup
Equipment
- saute pan or wok
- large glass bowl or another large pot
Ingredients
Broth:
- 3 lb venison bones, cut in half (I used 1 leg bone and 1 shoulder blade)
- 2 tablespoon canola oil
- 1.5 oz ginger, sliced
- 4 green onions, cut into thirds
- 2 oz dried mushroom stems (oyster, shiitake, etc.)
- mushroom stems from mushrooms below
- ½ cup bonito flakes
- 1 sheet kombu
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 4 quarts water
Other Ingredients:
- 1.5 lb venison steak or roast, thinly sliced (⅛" slices)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 lb oyster mushrooms, stems removed (save stems for broth)
- 2 tablespoon canola oil, divided
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce, divided
- 6 tablespoon green onions, thinly sliced at an angle
- 6 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
- 6 packages udon noodles, 7.34 oz each (noodles only)
Instructions
Broth:
- Preheat oven to 500°F. Place cut bones on parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until bones are browned but not burned.
- While bones are roasting, heat oil in stock pot over medium heat. Add ginger, green onions, mushroom stems (dried and fresh), and bonito flakes. Stir to coat in oil. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until fragrant, stirring frequently.
- Add in soy sauce and rice vinegar. Stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add roasted bones, pan drippings and kombu. Cover with water. I used 16 cups but you may need more or less depending on the size of your pot.
- Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer. Simmer for at least 8 hours.
- When broth is finished, remove bones and other large pieces. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a glass bowl or pot. Keep hot until ready to use.
Noodles and Toppings:
- Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mushrooms will release some liquid after a couple of minutes and the liquid reabsorbs into the mushrooms as they finish cooking.
- Once liquid has been reabsorbed, add in 1 tablespoon soy sauce, stir, and cook for 1 more minute. If mushrooms start to stick to pan, add in 1 tablespoon oil. Remove mushrooms from pan and set aside. Keep warm until ready to serve.
- Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Swirl to coat the pan. Add seasoned venison to pan in a single layer. Cook for 2 minutes then stir or flip the meat. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add in 2 tablespoon soy sauce, stir, and cook 1 more minute. Remove meat from pan and set aside. Keep warm until ready to use.
- Cook noodles according to package directions.
- Divide noodles among bowls. Pour broth over noodles. Place venison and mushrooms on top of noodles. Top with green onions and cilantro if desired. Enjoy!
Notes:
- Adding Spice: If you want to add some spice to the broth, whisk in some of your favorite Asian hot sauce. Gochujang works really well for this.
- Freezing: The broth from this recipe freezes really well if you don't want to make 8 servings of soup. Pour strained broth into freezer zippered bags. Freeze flat on a sheet pan until solid. Freeze for up to 6 months.
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