Coconut dashi broth is the perfect vessel for slurpable udon and tender tofu.
One of my favorite ways to eat tofu is in soup. There’s something about the texture of tender cubes of tofu in a rich, flavorful broth that I can’t get enough of.
What is dashi?
Dashi is a style of broth used in Japanese cooking. If you’ve ever ordered miso soup at a sushi restaurant, you’ve had dashi. It’s not a vegetarian broth as it is made from kombu (seaweed) and katsuobushi (also known as bonito flakes which are dried, smoked, fermented tuna flakes). Dashi broth is quite simple to make from scratch. Despite that, I still love to keep dashi granules in my refrigerator for quick soup broth on weeknights.
How to make this coconut dashi udon:
This recipe is just a breeze to make and requires barely any prep. Here’s what you need:
- Mushrooms: I use cremini, but shiitake, maitake, or oyster would also be delicious.
- Ginger and scallion whites: I keep it simple with the broth aromatics. I peel and freshly mince a 2-inch knob of ginger to get just over two teaspoons, but you can use jarred minced ginger too!
- Water, sesame oil, soy sauce, and dashi granules: These ingredients are the flavor foundation for the broth.
- Firm tofu: I love tofu in this broth, but try it with shredded, cooked chicken or ground pork. Be sure to brown the pork first!
- Coconut milk: I use full-fat coconut milk to give the broth a beautiful creaminess.
- Udon: Use your favorite noodle, but I love udon. Ramen, soba, or rice noodles would work in this.
- Spinach: Most green soup veggies will work here. Bok choy, sugar snap peas, baby kale, or shelled edamame work perfectly.
- Garnishes: I love to serve this with chili oil, shichimi togarashi, sesame seeds, and minced scallion greens to let people customize their toppings.
How to cook it:
The most amount of effort is needed just for slicing the mushrooms and prepping the ginger and scallion whites. Once that’s done, it’s time to cook it up. Here’s how:
- Step 1: Brown the mushrooms in a touch of oil. Add the ginger and scallion whites and cook until just fragrant.
- Step 2: Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir in sesame oil, soy sauce, and dashi granules. Add the tofu and coconut milk and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Step 3: Boil the noodles. Drain them and divide them between bowls.
- Step 4: Finish the soup by adding the spinach and adjusting the seasonings to your preference.
- Step 5: Serve it up! Ladle the soup over the noodles and garnish to your heart’s content.
Coconut Dashi Udon
Equipment
- 2 Large pots
- Colander
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, wiped clean, trimmed, and sliced
- 2- inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced; or use 2 teaspoons jarred minced ginger
- 4 scallions, minced; white and green parts kept separate
- 6 cups water
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce, plus more to taste
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon dashi granules
- 1 pound firm tofu, pressed and cut into cubes
- 14.5- ounce can full-fat coconut milk
- 8.8 ounces dry udon or 32 ounces fresh or frozen udon; weights may vary slightly depending on the brand
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- Salt to taste
For serving:
- Chili oil
- Shichimi togarashi
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
Cook the mushrooms:
- Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a large pot. Once hot, add the mushrooms and cook for 8–10 minutes until golden brown. Season with a pinch of salt.
- Add the ginger and scallion whites to the mushrooms and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Simmer the broth:
- Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and stir in the soy sauce, sesame oil, and dashi granules. Taste the broth and add more soy sauce or dashi if needed.
- Add the cubed tofu and coconut milk and simmer for 20 minutes.
Boil the noodles:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain into a colander, rinse, and divide between four bowls.
Finish the broth:
- Taste the broth and adjust the seasonings. Stir in the spinach and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
To serve:
- Ladle the broth over the cooked noodles. Sprinkle the minced scallion greens on top. Garnish with chili oil, shichimi togarashi, and sesame seeds if you like. Enjoy!
