Bouncy udon noodles, savory fish balls, bok choy, bean sprouts and seafood mushrooms in a warm broth. This one-pot, easy fish ball noodle soup recipe uses simple ingredients and is ready in just 15 minutes! A comforting meal that's family-friendly, restaurant-quality, and perfect for busy weeknights.
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Fish ball noodle soup is a dish served at Chinese, Japanese or Korean restaurants. There are many variations of this dish using different vegetables, broths, or noodles.
Fish balls (or 'fishcakes') are deep-fried or boiled balls or rectangles made of minced seafood, like squid, fish, shrimp, crab, or lobster with starch and seasonings.
They're available at the Asian market in the cold or frozen section and often used in Asian cuisine as a source of protein, as they're convenient to cook in a matter of minutes without preparation.
These soup noodles bring me back to my childhood. My mother would make it during the cold seasons and it instantly brought warmth.
This is the perfect bowl of noodle soup to cozy up to as it's delicious, quick, and filling. What sets my recipe apart is that it's all easily made in one pot.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Frozen Udon Noodles: Or use fresh udon noodles, ramen, Asian wheat-flour noodles, wonton noodles, rice vermicelli, or pho noodles and cook according to package directions.
- Fish Cakes or Fish Balls: These are round balls or rectangles made of minced seafood with starch and seasoning available at the Asian market in the cold or frozen section. Or use sliced fish cake sheets.
- Green Onion
- Baby Bok Choy: Or use regular bok choy, yu choy sum, or napa cabbage and chop into 2-inch long pieces.
- Seafood Mushrooms: Or use enoki mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, or shiitake mushrooms.
- Soy Bean Sprouts (optional): Or use mung bean sprouts.
Soup Base
- Chicken Broth: Or use mushroom stock or vegetable stock. Avoid using beef broth as it's overpowering.
- Water: Room temperature or cold.
- Regular Soy Sauce: Or use low-sodium soy sauce, light soy sauce, tamari sauce or coconut aminos.
- Oyster Sauce: Or use vegetarian stir-fry sauce.
- Mirin: A Japanese sweet cooking rice wine. Or substitute with 1 teaspoon rice vinegar and ¼ teaspoon sugar.
- Sesame Oil: Or add a pinch of sesame seeds at the end of cooking the broth.
- Garlic
- Green Onion
Note: Asian ingredients are typically available at most Asian grocery stores or check online.
Variation
- Char siu version - Replace the fish balls with cooked char siu, but don't boil it in the broth. Instead reheat the char siu in the microwave until hot and transfer onto the cooked noodles and broth.
- Shrimp version - Replace the fish balls with jumbo shrimp and boil in the broth until cooked for 1-2 minutes, then transfer to the serving bowls.
Expert Tips
- Wash the bok choy a few times between the leaves to remove dirt.
- Rinse the beansprouts a few times and strain well to remove natural odors.
- Blanch the udon until loosened and don't over blanch or it'll be soggy.
- Cook the fish balls through. Cooked fish balls should float to the top or reach an internal temperature of 145 F with a digital instant read thermometer.
- Don't overblanch the vegetables and only blanch until softened, or it will distort the taste of the broth.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make fish ball udon soup:
- Prepare mushrooms: Trim and remove the ends of the mushrooms, then rinse and strain them. Divide the mushrooms into smaller bunches. Set aside.
- Blanch noodles: In a medium-sized pot filled with enough water, bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Blanch udon noodles just until loosened, about 30 seconds. Strain the noodles and shake out excess water. Divide the noodles between two large serving bowls.
- Make the broth: In the same empty pot, add the soup base ingredients as listed above and stir to mix. Cover and bring to a boil on medium-high heat.
- Cook fish balls: Once boiling, add the fish balls. Cover and boil for 6-7 minutes, until they float. Remove with a slotted spoon and divide between the serving bowls.
- Blanch greens and mushrooms: Then blanch the bok choy and seafood mushrooms in the broth until softened, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and divide between the bowls.
- Blanch the sprouts: Blanch the beansprouts in the broth for 30 seconds and remove with a slotted spoon and divide between the bowls.
- Serve and garnish: Pour and divide the broth between the bowls. Garnish with extra green onions and add extra oyster sauce to taste, if needed. Enjoy hot!
Storage & Reheating
- Fish ball noodle soup is best enjoyed fresh but it can be stored for up to 4 days in the fridge into airtight containers once cooled. I recommend storing the soup separate from the noodles, fish balls and vegetables to prevent the noodles from going soggy. To enjoy, re-boil everything on the stovetop until hot throughout.
- Fish ball noodle soup is not ideal for freezing as the noodles and vegetables will change in texture.
Pairing Suggestions
Fish ball noodle soup pairs well with:
- Seafood Dishes: Shrimp Tempura, Panko Shrimp or Ebi Mayo.
- Vegetable Dishes: Chinese Garlic Gok Choy, Spicy Garlic Bok Choy, Chinese Garlic Yu Choy, Chinese Garlic Gai Lan, Garlic Green Beans or Stir-fried Snow Pea Leaves.
- Protein Dishes: Ramen eggs, Chicken katsu, Tonkatsu, Tofu katsu, Fish katsu bites, or Karaage.
FAQ
Fish ball noodle soup can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored into airtight containers in the fridge once cooled. I recommend storing the soup separate from the noodles, fish balls and vegetables. To enjoy, re-boil everything in a medium pot on medium-high heat until hot throughout.
Raw fish balls last 5 days after the package has been opened, but you can freeze them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
Fish balls should be gluten-free as they're made of minced seafood, starch and salt, but it's always best to check the package ingredients to determine this as most won't clearly indicate if they are gluten-free or not.
📖 Recipe
Easy 15-min. Fish Ball Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1.10 lb udon noodles frozen or fresh kind
- 12 fish balls
- 1 green onion finely chopped, optional garnish
- 8 baby bok choy halved, rinsed & strained
- ½ cup bean sprouts rinsed & strained
- 5.29 oz seafood mushrooms or enoki mushrooms
Soup Base
- 2 cups chicken broth low-sodium, or mushroom stock
- 2 cups water room temperature or cold
- ½ tablespoon regular soy sauce or light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce or vegetarian stir-fry sauce
- 1 teaspoon mirin
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 green onion finely chopped
Instructions
- Trim and remove the ends of the mushrooms, then rinse and strain them. Divide the mushrooms into smaller bunches. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized pot filled with enough water, bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Blanch udon noodles just until loosened, about 30 seconds. Strain the noodles and shake out excess water. Divide the noodles between two large serving bowls.
- In the same empty pot, add the soup base ingredients as listed above and stir to mix. Cover and bring to a boil on medium-high heat.
- Once boiling, add the fish balls. Cover and boil for 6-7 minutes, until they float. Remove with a slotted spoon and divide between the serving bowls.
- Then blanch the bok choy and seafood mushrooms in the broth until softened, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and divide between the bowls.
- Blanch the beansprouts in the broth for 30 seconds and remove with a slotted spoon and divide between the bowls.
- Pour and divide the broth between the bowls. Garnish with extra green onions and add extra oyster sauce to taste, if needed. Enjoy hot!
Steven Low
Nice comfort food
Christie Lai
Absolutely! Thanks so much for making it!
Rosemary
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 !
Katherine | Love In My Oven
It is SO cold here!! What a warm and comforting dish. This would certainly warm me up!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
Your suggestions for changing up the flavors were so helpful! I really like the versatility of this recipe.