Korean Pork Belly Udon Soup with Gochujang Broth

Korean-inspired pork belly udon soup pairs chewy Japanese udon noodles with crisp-edged pork belly and a savory broth flavored with gochujang, garlic, dried anchovies, and kelp. It is a comforting cross-cuisine bowl rather than one fixed traditional recipe, and the broth can be adjusted from gently savory to pleasantly spicy.

Ingredients

6 cups (1.4 L) water
6 dried Korean anchovies, heads and guts removed if needed (about 10 g)
1 piece dashima, also called Korean kelp, about 3 by 4 inches (6 g)
12 ounces (340 g) pork belly, cut into strips about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick
1 tablespoon (15 ml) neutral oil, such as canola oil
1½ tablespoons (25 g) gochujang, Korean fermented red pepper paste
2 tablespoons (30 ml) low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon (15 ml) mirin
4 garlic cloves (12 g), finely chopped
1 tablespoon (10 g) finely grated fresh ginger
½ medium yellow onion (about 75 g), thinly sliced
6 ounces (170 g) shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced
2 cups (150 g) thinly sliced napa cabbage
4 portions udon noodles, about 28 ounces (800 g) total, fresh or frozen
3 scallions (about 45 g), thinly sliced
1 teaspoon (5 ml) toasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon (1 g) gochugaru, Korean red pepper flakes, optional
¼ teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g), plus more to taste
1 teaspoon (3 g) toasted sesame seeds, for serving

Instructions

Prepare the broth ingredients. Put the water, dried anchovies, and dashima in a medium pot. If your anchovies still have heads and dark innards, remove them first to keep the broth from tasting bitter. While the pot comes to a simmer, slice the pork and vegetables, chop the garlic, and grate the ginger. This recipe uses a quick anchovy-kelp stock; it should taste savory and lightly oceanic, not strongly fishy.
Make a quick anchovy-kelp stock. Bring the pot to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Lift out and discard the anchovies and kelp with a slotted spoon. Avoid boiling the kelp hard, which can make the liquid cloudy or slick. You should have a light, clean stock ready to season.
Season the broth. Whisk the gochujang, soy sauce, and mirin into the hot stock until the paste dissolves. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and optional gochugaru. Keep the pot at a low simmer while you cook the pork. Gochujang brands vary in saltiness and heat, so begin with the listed amount and adjust after the vegetables have simmered.
Brown the pork belly. Heat the neutral oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork strips in a single layer, working in batches if needed, and cook for about 6 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through. Check the thickest pieces with a food thermometer: USDA FSIS lists 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest as the safe minimum for whole cuts of pork. Rest the pork on a clean plate for 3 minutes before adding it to the soup. If the pieces are too thin to measure reliably, cut a few slightly thicker pieces for checking.
Simmer the vegetables. Add the onion and shiitake mushrooms to the seasoned stock and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the napa cabbage and simmer for 2 more minutes, just until the cabbage softens but still has a little bite. Taste the broth before adding salt; the soy sauce and gochujang may already provide enough seasoning.
Cook the udon separately. While the vegetables simmer, prepare the noodles in a separate pot according to the package directions. Fresh or frozen udon often needs only 1 to 2 minutes in boiling water, while shelf-stable noodles may take longer. Drain well. Cooking noodles separately prevents excess starch from clouding the broth and makes it easier to store leftovers without the noodles swelling.
Finish the soup. Divide the udon among four deep bowls. Add the rested pork belly to the broth and warm it for about 1 minute; do not leave it simmering for a long time or the edges can become tough. Stir in the sesame oil, then ladle the hot broth, mushrooms, onion, and cabbage over the noodles.
Garnish and serve. Scatter the scallions and sesame seeds over the bowls. Taste one spoonful of broth and add a pinch of salt or a small amount of gochujang if needed. Serve immediately while the noodles are springy and the pork is warm.

Tips

Find the right kelp and anchovies. Korean grocery stores often carry dashima and dried soup anchovies; Japanese kombu can stand in for dashima, though the stock may taste a little different. If these ingredients are unavailable, use 6 cups (1.4 L) low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth instead. Skip the anchovies and kelp, and season gradually because prepared broth can be saltier.
Control the spice. Gochujang brings fermented depth as well as heat, so it is not exactly interchangeable with hot sauce. For a milder bowl, use 1 tablespoon (17 g) gochujang and omit the gochugaru; the broth will be less spicy and slightly less rich in fermented pepper flavor. Add extra gochugaru at the table for diners who want more heat.
Brown in batches. Crowding the skillet makes pork release moisture and steam instead of browning. Give the strips space, and let the pan regain its heat between batches. If the pork belly renders a lot of fat, carefully spoon off most of it before cooking the next batch; leave a thin coating for flavor.
Keep noodle texture in mind. Udon brands differ in thickness and whether they are fresh, frozen, or shelf-stable, so follow the package timing rather than assuming they all cook alike. Drain them as soon as they are tender and avoid rinsing unless the package directs you to do so.

Serving Suggestions

Serve each bowl as a complete meal, with extra sliced scallions, sesame seeds, and a small dish of kimchi on the side. The tangy, fermented crunch of kimchi contrasts with the rich pork and soft noodles. A simple cucumber salad dressed with rice vinegar and a little sesame oil is another refreshing accompaniment.

For a fuller table, offer steamed rice and a few small vegetable sides, such as seasoned spinach or pickled radish. Keep any extra gochujang or gochugaru on the table rather than adding more heat to the whole pot; diners can adjust their own bowls. A spoon and chopsticks are useful for enjoying both the broth and the noodles.

Variations

Make it less rich. Replace half the pork belly with thinly sliced pork shoulder or pork loin. These cuts render less fat, so the soup will feel lighter; watch them closely because leaner pork can dry out if overcooked. Check pork with a thermometer and observe the same 145°F (63°C) minimum and 3-minute rest.
Use a vegetarian broth. Omit the pork and anchovies, and simmer the dashima with a few dried shiitake mushrooms instead. Add a 14-ounce (400 g) block of firm tofu, cubed, and use vegetable broth if desired. The broth will have a more mushroom-forward flavor and less of the deep savory taste that anchovies bring.
Add more vegetables. Thinly sliced carrots, bok choy, or spinach work well. Add carrots with the mushrooms so they have time to soften; stir spinach in during the last minute. Avoid loading the pot with too many vegetables at once, which dilutes the broth and can make the noodles difficult to serve.
Adjust the broth style. For a cleaner, less spicy soup, reduce gochujang to 1 tablespoon (17 g) and leave out gochugaru. For a deeper, saltier flavor, add a teaspoon of soy sauce at a time after tasting. The goal is a balanced broth that seasons the noodles without overwhelming the pork.

Storage and Reheating

For the best texture, store the broth with its vegetables and pork in one airtight container and keep the drained udon in a separate container. Refrigerate both within 2 hours of cooking. The soup components keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator; cooked noodles are best within about 2 days because they gradually soften and stick together.

Reheat only the amount you plan to eat. Warm the broth, pork, and vegetables in a saucepan until steaming, then check that leftovers reach 165°F (74°C), the USDA FSIS reheating temperature. Add a splash of water if the broth has reduced. Warm the noodles separately in hot water for about 30 seconds, drain, and put them in the bowl before ladling over the soup. Freezing the broth and pork without noodles is possible for up to 2 months for best quality; thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat to 165°F (74°C). The vegetables may soften after freezing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use packaged broth instead of making anchovy-kelp stock?
Yes. Use 6 cups (1.4 L) low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth and skip the water, dried anchovies, and dashima. Taste before adding soy sauce or salt, since packaged broth varies in sodium. The result will be convenient and savory, though it will lack the particular clean, lightly sea-sweet flavor of anchovy and kelp stock.

Can I make this soup without gochujang?
You can, but the broth will no longer have the same fermented Korean pepper flavor. For a milder alternative, use a little soy sauce and a pinch of chili flakes, then add a small amount of miso if you have it for savory depth. Miso is not a direct replacement, so start with 1 teaspoon (6 g) and taste before adding more.

What kind of udon should I buy?
Fresh, frozen, and shelf-stable udon can all work. Frozen and fresh noodles usually have a soft, pleasantly chewy texture and cook quickly; shelf-stable noodles may be firmer and need longer. Follow the package instructions, drain the noodles, and keep them separate from the broth until serving.

Can I prepare parts of the recipe ahead?
Yes. Make the broth and slice the vegetables up to 2 days ahead, then refrigerate them in separate covered containers. You can also slice the pork a day ahead and keep it refrigerated separately. Cook the noodles shortly before serving, and brown the pork on the day you plan to eat so it stays pleasantly tender.

How can I keep the soup from becoming too salty or spicy?
Use low-sodium soy sauce, add the gochujang gradually, and taste the broth after the vegetables soften. Anchovies, gochujang, and prepared broth all vary in intensity, so the listed salt is only a starting point. If the broth is too spicy, dilute it with a little hot water or unsalted broth; if it is too salty, add unsalted liquid rather than more noodles alone.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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