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Vegetable Tempura Udon Soup

Vegetable Tempura Udon Soup reads umami 5.6, sweetness 5.3 and richness 5.1 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Japanese main, about 30 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 6.3 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 5.6 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 0.8 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.7 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.5 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.0 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 5.6 · Sweetness 5.3 · Richness 5.1 · Salinity 4.7 · Allium 3.8 · Funk & Ferment 2.7 · Earthy 2.6 · Herbaceous 2.2 · Nutty 1.2 · Bitterness 1.0 · Fruity 1.0 · Sourness 0.8

What's in it (16)

• low-sodium beef broth — 1420 g
• shiitake mushrooms — 28 g
• soy sauce — 59 g
• mirin — 44 g
• granulated sugar — 13 g
• salt — 3 g
• frozen noodles — 454 g
• egg — 100 g
• cold water — 237 g
• all-purpose flour — 121 g
• cornstarch — 118 g
• red-skinned sweet potatoes — 340 g
• green beans — 227 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• vegetable oil — 871 g
• scallions — 300 g

Time & effort: about 30 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 117.4 kcal, 3.5 g protein, 3.8 g fat, 17.6 g carbs

Dietary: Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the vegetable broth and dried shiitake mushrooms. Bring to a bare simmer over medium heat and cook until the mushrooms are plump and fragrant, about 12 minutes.
2. Lift out the mushrooms with a slotted spoon, slice thinly, and return them to the broth. Stir in the soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and salt; reduce heat to low and keep the broth warm while you finish the rest of the dish, about 2 minutes.
3. Bring a separate large pot of water to a boil and cook the udon noodles until just tender, 2-3 minutes (or per package instructions). Drain and divide among four deep bowls.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the cold egg into the ice water until just combined.
5. Add 3/4 cup of the flour and the cornstarch to the egg mixture and fold with a few strokes until just combined; a few lumps of flour should remain — do not overmix, or the tempura will turn tough.
6. In a large, deep pot or Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat to 350 F.
7. Dredge the sweet potato rounds, green beans, and onion rings in the remaining flour, shaking off the excess. Working with the sweet potato first, dip the rounds in the batter and fry until golden and crisp, 3-4 minutes; transfer to a wire rack.
8. Dip the green beans in the batter and fry until crisp and lightly golden, 2 minutes; transfer to the rack. Dip the onion rings in the batter and fry until deep golden, 2-3 minutes; transfer to the rack. Season all the fried vegetables with a pinch of salt while hot.
9. Ladle the hot broth and shiitake over the noodles in each bowl. Top with the tempura vegetables and scallions, and serve immediately while the tempura is still crisp.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Vegetable Egg Foo Young — Chinese-American
• Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie with Lentils — British
• Chicken and Egg Donburi (Oyakodon) — Japanese
• Sukiyaki (すき焼き) — Japanese
• Oyakodon (親子丼) — Japanese

Keep reading: what umami, sweetness, richness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.