Start strong, finish easy: simmer chicken in concentrated broth, then dilute for a fast, deeply flavored udon soup.

Udon—thick, chewy Japanese wheat noodles—are one of my kids’ favorites, which works nicely for me because I love them too. And unlike many noodle soups that rely on long-simmered broths, udon leans on a fast-building, savory-sweet base that delivers big flavor with minimal effort.

Like many classic Japanese dishes, the soup base for udon is a savory-sweet combination that starts with dashi. If you've got the wherewithal to make fresh dashi, you absolutely can. But the majority of the time for a simple dish like this I'll stick with powdered hondashi, a blend of dried bonito, salt, sugar, and MSG that dissolves instantly into a deeply savory broth. A splash of soy sauce and mirin rounds it out. If you want to streamline things even further, keep a bottle of mentsuyu in the fridge. This concentrated, pre-mixed blend of dashi, soy sauce, and mirin can be diluted to form the base of countless Japanese dishes, from sukiyaki, to cold noodle or tempura dipping sauce, to oyakodon (chicken and egg rice bowls).

Chicken is not the most common udon toppings (seaweed, tempura, fish cakes, and the like are for more frequent additions), but I had some leftover chicken thighs in my fridge, and I wasn't about to let them go to waste.

Speaking of oyakodon, that dish informed how I started this chicken udon: Instead of building a full pot of diluted broth from the start, I begin with a more concentrated broth mixture and gently simmer the chicken in it. This seasons the meat all the way through while also enriching the base. Once the chicken is cooked, I quickly prepare some spinach: a brief dunk in the hot broth to wilt, followed by a rinse under cold water to set its color. Squeezed dry and sliced into tidy bundles, it adds a clean, vegetal contrast to the rich soup. Finally, the broth gets strained and diluted to its final strength. It’s a small shift in process, but it makes the whole bowl taste more cohesive.

From there, everything comes together quickly. Cook the noodles (I prefer frozen over dried—they’re closer in texture to fresh and ready in about a minute), divide them into bowls, and top with the chicken and spinach. Ladle over the hot broth and finish with a scattering of sliced negi or scallions.

Like most udon dishes, this one is flexible. No chicken? Use whatever protein you’ve got—leftover roast meat, tofu, a jammy egg, even sliced deli ham or turkey all work. The broth is the backbone; everything else is an opportunity to adapt.

Recipe: Chicken Udon Soup with Spinach

What I love about this recipe:

Done in about 10 minutes start to finish

Uses pantry staples plus whatever protein you have

Chicken thighs make it forgiving

Frozen udon cook in moments

Yield: 2–3 servingsActive Time: 10 minutesTotal Time: 10 minutesNotes: Frozen udon is strongly recommended for the best texture.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons (about 6g) Hondashi or other instant dashi powder

2 tablespoons (30ml) mirin

2 tablespoons (30ml) Japanese soy sauce

2–3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 12 ounces / 340g), cut into small bite-sized pieces

4 cups (120g) fresh spinach

2 portions frozen udon noodles

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Optional additions

Soft-boiled eggs

Fried tofu (aburaage)

Fish cakes

Tempura shrimp or tempura bits

Re-hydrated seaweed (like wakame)

Sliced cold cuts like turkey or ham

Method

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup (240ml) water, Hondashi, mirin, and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the dashi. Add the chicken thighs and let them simmer gently until just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a bowl.

Add the spinach to the broth and cook just until wilted, about 30 seconds. Remove immediately and rinse under cold running water. Lay the spinach out lengthwise on a clean kitchen towel or double layer of paper towels. Roll it up tightly and squeeze to remove excess moisture from the spinach. Unroll the spinach, keeping it in a bundle, and slice into 1 1/2- to 2-inch segments.

Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer and return it to the pot. Add about 2 cups (480ml) water to the broth. Taste and adjust with more soy sauce, mirin, hondashi, or water until the balance tastes right: savory, slightly sweet, and full of umami.

Bring a separate pot of water to a boil and cook the udon according to package directions (frozen udon usually takes about 1 minute). Drain well.

Divide noodles between bowls. Add chicken and spinach, then ladle the hot broth over the top. Top with scallions and any optional additions. Serve immediately.