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    Home » Recipes » 30-min. Meals

    Fish Ball Noodle Soup

    Modified: Oct 29, 2024 · Published: Oct 28, 2023 by Christie Lai · This post may contain affiliate links · 5 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Chewy udon noodles in a warm chicken broth with bouncy fish balls, baby bok choy, bean sprouts, seafood mushrooms and green onions. This quick and easy fish ball noodle soup is ready in 15 minutes with simple ingredients. A comforting meal.

    fish ball udon soup
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients & Substitutes
    • Expert Tips
    • Instructions
    • Storage
    • Pairing Suggestions
    • FAQ
    • Other recipes you may like
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    This fish ball udon soup is comforting, easy to make in little time with minimal ingredients. Making it a great busy weeknight meal for yourself or for the family!

    You'll find a variation of this dish served at Chinese, Japanese or Korean restaurants using different noodles, vegetables or other types of broth. Fish balls or fish cakes are often used in Asian cuisine as a tasty source of protein.

    fish ball udon soup

    What are fish balls? Fish balls (aka fish cake) are spongy balls made of minced seafood (like squid, fish, shrimp, and/or lobster) with starch and seasonings. They can be fried or not and are sold in vacuum-sealed packages at the Asian market.

    This dish brings me back to my childhood when my mom made us noodle soup. She knew my body always felt cold in my hands and feet, so she would always feed me this to warm me up.

    fish ball udon soup

    The best part was her broth, it was always so flavourful because it was made from scratch. However, we're going to simplify this and use store-bought broth.

    This is the perfect bowl of noodles to cozy up to when the colder weather hits. I love this warming recipe because it's so quick, simple and filling!

    Ingredients & Substitutes

    Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements. 

    • Frozen Udon Noodles: or substitute with fresh udon noodles. Avoid shelf-stable vacuum sealed udon as they break apart easily and aren't chewy. Or substitute with ramen, Asian wheat flour noodles, wonton noodles or rice noodles (if you're gluten-free) like vermicelli or wide rice noodles prepared to packaged directions.
    • Fish Balls: these are circular or rectangular shaped and made of minced seafood like fish, shrimp, crab, lobster, or squid combined with starch and seasoning. Asian markets sell them in the refrigerated or freezer section. Pick a flavor that you would enjoy! Or substitute with fish cake sheets.
    • Green Onion
    • Baby Bok Choy: or substitute with chopped regular bok choy, yu choy sum, or napa cabbage.
    • Seafood Mushrooms: or substitute with enoki mushrooms or oyster mushrooms. Sliced shiitake mushrooms will work too.
    • Soy Bean Sprouts: or substitute with mung bean sprouts. These are optional so feel free to omit if you don't like bean sprouts.

    Soup Base

    • Chicken Broth: low-sodium. Or substitute with mushroom stock or vegetable stock. Beef stock may taste too heavy so I'd avoid using this.
    • Water: room temperature or cold.
    • Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce. If you’re gluten-free, substitute with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce of your choice. 
    • Oyster sauce: this is a thick brown sauce made of oysters that adds a lot of umami flavor. Or substitute with vegetarian stir-fry sauce. If you're gluten-free: substitute with a gluten-free version.
    • Mirin: a popular sweet rice cooking wine sold at most Asian or Japanese grocers. For a non-alcoholic version: substitute with two drops of rice vinegar and ⅛ teaspoon sugar.
    • Sesame Oil: or substitute with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. If you're allergic to sesame, omit this ingredient.
    • Garlic
    • Green Onion

    Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients or check online stores, like Amazon. 

    Expert Tips

    • Wash the bok choy well to remove any dirt or inserts hidden between the leaves.
    • If you're using beansprouts, rinse them a few times with cold running water to remove any natural earthy odors.
    • Don't over blanch the frozen udon noodles or they will become soggy in the soup. Just blanch until they're loosened and strain immediately.
    • Make sure to thoroughly cook the fish balls. Cooked fish balls should float to the top or have an internal temperature of 145 F with a digital instant read thermometer.
    • Don't over blanch the vegetables. Just blanch until they're softened or they too can become soggy and worse the bean sprouts can add a earthy taste to the broth.

    Instructions

    Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make fish ball udon soup:

    1. In a medium-sized pot filled with enough water, bring to a boil on high heat. Blanch frozen udon noodles in hot boiling water for 30 seconds or just until loosened and strain the noodles in a colander. Divide the noodles between two large serving bowls. (If you're using fresh udon or other noodles, cook according to package directions).
    2. In the same empty pot, add soup base ingredients as listed above and stir to mix. Cover and bring to a boil on high heat.
    3. Uncover the lid, add fish balls, cover and boil for 6-7 minutes until they float. Remove the fish balls with a slotted spoon and divide between the serving bowls.
    4. Then blanch bok choy, seafood mushroom and bean sprouts in the hot broth until softened (2 minutes for bok choy/mushrooms and 30 seconds for bean sprouts). Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and divide between two large serving bowls.
    5. Pour equal amounts of the hot broth over the noodles. Garnish the noodle soup with green onions. Feel free to add more oyster sauce to taste if needed. Enjoy hot!

    Storage

    • Leftovers can be stored for up to 4 days into airtight containers in the fridge. I recommend storing the soup separate from the noodles, fish balls and vegetables. To reheat leftovers, re-boil everything in a medium pot on medium-high heat until hot throughout.
    • Freezer-friendly? I don't recommend freezing fish ball noodle soup because the udon noodles and vegetables will change in texture.

    Pairing Suggestions

    Fish ball noodle soup serves well with:

    • starters like miso soup, or salad with Japanese ginger salad dressing or korokke.
    • fried rice
    • cooked vegetables like bok choy, spicy garlic bok choy, choy sum, gai lan, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.
    • seafood dishes like shrimp tempura, panko shrimp or ebi mayo.
    • protein dishes like chicken katsu, tonkatsu, soy sauce chicken, oven-roasted char siu or air fryer char siu, or Chinese roasted pork belly.

    FAQ

    Can I make this in advance?

    Fish ball noodle soup can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored into airtight containers in the fridge. I recommend storing the soup separate from the noodles, fish balls and vegetables.

    To reheat leftovers, re-boil everything in a medium pot on medium-high heat until hot throughout.

    How long do fish balls last after opened?

    Raw fish balls last 5 days after the package has been opened but you can freeze the uncooked fish balls in a freezer-friendly bag for up to 3-6 months or until you see freezer-burn.

    Are udon noodles gluten-free? 

    Udon noodles are not gluten-free because they're made of wheat flour, which contains gluten. However, some brands sell gluten-free udon noodles if you search online. 

    Other recipes you may like

    • Udon Carbonara
    • Sesame Sausage Udon Stir-Fry
    • Fish Cake Udon Stir Fry
    • Stir Fried Vegetable Tofu Udon

    📖 Recipe

    featured image of fish ball udon soup

    Easy 15-min. Fish Ball Noodle Soup

    Christie Lai
    Chewy udon noodles in a warm chicken broth with bouncy fish balls, baby bok choy, bean sprouts, seafood mushrooms and green onions. This quick and easy fish ball noodle soup is ready in 15 minutes with simple ingredients. A comforting meal.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 15 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Asian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean
    Servings 2
    Calories per serving 994 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1.10 lb udon noodles frozen or fresh kind (feel free to double the amount if you want more noodles)
    • 12 fish balls store-bought (choose any flavor!)
    • 1 green onion finely chopped for garnishing
    • 8 baby bok choy halved, rinsed & strained
    • ½ cup bean sprouts rinsed a few times & strained
    • 5.29 oz seafood mushrooms or enoki mushrooms/oyster mushrooms with ends trimmed, rinsed & strained

    Soup Base

    • 2 cups chicken broth or mushroom stock, low-sodium
    • 2 cups water room temperature or cold
    • ½ tablespoon regular soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoon oyster sauce or vegetarian stir-fry sauce
    • 1 teaspoon mirin or 2 drop rice vinegar + ⅛ teaspoon sugar
    • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
    • 1 garlic clove minced
    • 1 green onion finely chopped

    Instructions
     

    • In a medium-sized pot filled with enough water, bring to a boil on high heat. Blanch frozen udon noodles in hot boiling water for 30 seconds or just until loosened and strain the noodles in a colander. Divide the noodles between two large serving bowls. (If you're using fresh udon or other noodles, cook according to package directions).
    • In the same empty pot, add soup base ingredients as listed above and stir to mix. Cover and bring to a boil on high heat.
    • Uncover the lid, add fish balls, cover and boil for 6-7 minutes until they float. Remove the fish balls with a slotted spoon and divide between the serving bowls.
    • Then blanch bok choy, seafood mushroom and bean sprouts in the hot broth until softened (2 minutes for bok choy/mushrooms and 30 seconds for bean sprouts). Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and divide between two large serving bowls.
    • Pour equal amounts of the hot broth over the noodles. Garnish the noodle soup with green onions. Feel free to add more oyster sauce to taste if needed. Enjoy hot!
    Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!

    Suggested Equipment & Products

    • Measuring Set
    • Kitchen Scale
    • Medium Size Pot 2.4 Qt
    • Steel Colander
    • Cutting Board
    • Santoku Knife
    • Slotted Spoon
    Nutrition
    Calories: 994kcal | Carbohydrates: 187g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 4956mg | Potassium: 397mg | Fiber: 20g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 20244IU | Vitamin C: 211mg | Calcium: 538mg | Iron: 4mg

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Steven Low

      May 29, 2024 at 9:33 pm

      5 stars
      Nice comfort food

      Reply
      • Christie Lai

        June 03, 2024 at 1:04 pm

        Absolutely! Thanks so much for making it!

        Reply
    2. Rosemary

      February 24, 2021 at 1:02 pm

      5 stars
      As soon as I read thick and chewy udon noodles I was sold! I am a big fan of the thick noodles in Asian food !

      Reply
    3. Katherine | Love In My Oven

      February 15, 2021 at 9:57 pm

      5 stars
      It is SO cold here!! What a warm and comforting dish. This would certainly warm me up!

      Reply
    4. Heidi | The Frugal Girls

      February 15, 2021 at 3:56 pm

      5 stars
      Your suggestions for changing up the flavors were so helpful! I really like the versatility of this recipe.

      Reply

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    Christie

    Christie is an Recipe Blogger with an expertise on Asian recipes! She makes Asian cooking approachable with step-by-step pictures, ingredient & recipe tips and a helpful cooking video. Her quick and easy recipes have been featured on BuzzFeed Tasty, Food52, The Kitchn, The FeedFeed, Sur La Table, Yummly and more! With a following of over 1M+, her recipes are made repeatedly by her loyal readers.

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