# Have you ever made Japanese soup? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 23, 2012, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-japanese-soup/635632 "2012-09-23T22:55:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-japanese-soup/635632/1 "2012-09-23T22:55:19Z")
One of my favorite things to get at Japanese restaurants is soup. I’m not talking about miso, but those big bowls full of udon, soba, or ramen noodles and vegatables and small pieces of meat. It’s very tasty and probably pretty healthy as well. I figured why not make it at home and avoid restaurant prices. I’ve been looking over the web and haven’t found much helpful for a recipe. I’m sure it’s pretty easy to figure out on my own, but I’m having trouble with the stock. The best I can figure is that it’s dashi, which apparently is made from water and some combination of kelp, bonito flakes, and sardines. Where do I start? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-japanese-soup/635632/2 "2012-09-23T23:11:45Z")
The normal/plainest dashi is just kombu and katsuobushi. You can find the former anywhere, the latter at a Japanese/Asian market. With sardines, I understand it is called _niboshi dashi_. I didn’t worry too much about the stock but I’m sure I did something wrong. It’s been awhile - some mix? I used ramen IIRC (the real stuff, not Maruchan). Meat was precooked with ginger and scallions, sake, soy sauce, and other things. I love ordering udon at restaurants. I also hate it because I can never finish it. So it’s only special occasions. ---
**Author:** ![Kyrie\_Eleison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kyrie_eleison/32/7682_2.png) [@Kyrie\_Eleison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyrie_Eleison)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-japanese-soup/635632/3 "2012-09-23T23:20:54Z")
I’ve made dashi the traditional way, and I also often use Hon-dashi instant dashi. Instant is so much easier, and still tasty. They’re not indistinguishable, but both are good. See [here](http://justonecookbook.com/blog/how-to/how-to-make-dashi-jiru/) for information about dashi. If you go the traditional route, and are therefore stocking dried bonito flakes, I’ll tell you that sprinkling them on cooked spinach results in yum. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-japanese-soup/635632/4 "2012-09-23T23:21:28Z")
Dashi can mean the stuff made with bonito and such, or it can mean “stock”. If you see a recipe for ramen that lists dashi as an ingredient, I can tell you from having tried all of the different types that pork stock is what’s used in Japan for ramen recipes. ---
**Author:** ![bot3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@bot3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bot3)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-japanese-soup/635632/5 "2012-09-24T01:26:12Z")
Difficult to get Japanese to get into hot boiling water. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-japanese-soup/635632/6 "2012-09-24T01:46:35Z")
> [@bot3](#): > > Difficult to get Japanese to get into hot boiling water. But Japanese do like getting into [hot water](http://www.info-toyama.com/english/tlibrary/img/kurobe/1_045.jpg). (Warning: naked Japanese people in a hot bath may not be safe for viewing in a puritanical workplace.) ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-japanese-soup/635632/7 "2012-09-24T02:12:28Z")
Is that how I get great Tampopo soup? ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-japanese-soup/635632/8 "2012-09-24T02:16:11Z")
[Shoyu Ramen Recipe](http://www.thepauperedchef.com/article/how-make-shoyu-ramen-home) (warning: Shirojoyu/white soy sauce is a bit of an exotic ingredient, I’ve never actually found it offline, and online it’s expensive. Substituting normal soy sauce is probably fine). ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-japanese-soup/635632/9 "2012-09-24T02:46:44Z")
My breakfast every morning is this kind of soup. The thing is that I don’t use stock, just boiling water from a teakettle. I pour this water over heaping tablespoon of miso paste 2 cloves sliced garlic wakame seaweed 3-4 chopped scallions I boil some packaged somen noodles in a saucepan while I’m pulverizing the miso with my chopsticks. I chop/slice into my hand for easy cleanup, and the whole thing (with a cup of tea) is done in 10 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-japanese-soup/635632/10 "2012-09-24T04:15:38Z")
Make dashi by soaking a piece of kombu in hot water for 15 minutes. Don’t let the water boil. Remove the kombu and add wakame and/or bonito flakes and simmer for another 15 minutes. Skim out the wakame and flakes. This is your broth. Add soba or udon noodles, then thin slices of carrot, bell pepper, mushrooms, tofu, meat or seafood. Let these simmer in the broth, preferably at the table if you have a hot plate or burner. ---
**Author:** ![nikonikosuru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-japanese-soup/635632/11 "2012-09-24T04:28:26Z")
Not to nitpick, but udon and ramen is not really healthy. The former is thick noodles of pure white flour and the latter is also white flour noodles that have been fried in oil (not denying their tastiness, though!) tdn, you don’t happen to have a Japanese store near you by chance, do you? You could always buy some bonito flakes to steep in hot water as a stock. Markets even sell udon cubes (think bouillon cubes with a specific udon flavoring.) Heck, when I’m low on those I just use plain ol’ chicken bouillon! Toss in some spinach, green onion, crack an egg, maybe some fish cake…Japan noodle dishes vary from region to region, so there’s definitely no set standard to go by! ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-japanese-soup/635632/12 "2012-09-24T05:06:37Z")
> [@nikonikosuru](#): > > Not to nitpick, but udon and ramen is not really healthy. The former is thick noodles of pure white flour and the latter is also white flour noodles that have been fried in oil (not denying their tastiness, though!) Yeah, but as far as a sporadic treat comfort food goes you could do way, way worse. Whipping up some ramen or udon (especially with the vegetables) is probably going to end up better for you than a double cheeseburger. I also find ramen and udon really filling – so that helps too. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-japanese-soup/635632/13 "2012-09-24T12:48:16Z")
> [@nikonikosuru](#): > > Not to nitpick, but udon and ramen is not really healthy. The former is thick noodles of pure white flour and the latter is also white flour noodles that have been fried in oil (not denying their tastiness, though!) > > tdn, you don’t happen to have a Japanese store near you by chance, do you? The white flour thing is something that I was concerned about. Surely some noodles come in a whole grain version? Or I can just control the portion size. I don’t have a Japanese store near me, but there is a large Chinese market. I’m pretty sure that they have Japanese foods there. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-japanese-soup/635632/14 "2012-09-24T12:58:41Z")
'Round these parts, it’s [Pho](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pho). Which, according to the article, you can apparently can buy packages for. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-japanese-soup/635632/15 "2012-09-24T14:15:07Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > The white flour thing is something that I was concerned about. Surely some noodles come in a whole grain version? Or I can just control the portion size. > > I don’t have a Japanese store near me, but there is a large Chinese market. I’m pretty sure that they have Japanese foods there. Get the buckwheat udon noodles. Not whole grain really, but more nutricious and tasty. Eat other vegatables for fiber. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-japanese-soup/635632/16 "2012-09-24T18:04:21Z")
Or the traditional route, soba, which are always buckwheat, and thinner than udon. Soba can be put in a soup, or it often is taken out after boiling and made into a salad or other “dry” portion. Wikipedia says “100 grams of soba yields 344 kcal.” I have no idea if that’s dry or cooked, and can’t picture what 100g is anyway. Doesn’t sound terribly low calorie, though. It’s also “citation needed” so YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-japanese-soup/635632/17 "2012-09-24T18:15:44Z")
> **[The Nutrition Facts for Different Types of Asian Noodles | Livestrong.com](https://www.livestrong.com/article/333027-nutrition-information-on-the-types-of-asian-noodles/)** > > Find out about the nutrition of different types of Asian noodles, including egg noodles, rice noodles, ramen, buckwheat soba noodles and mung bean noodles. > [@](#): > > A standard serving of soba noodles is 1 cup of noodles, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Each cup of noodles has 113 calories and virtually no fat.