Kitsune Udon
Udon noodles in dashi with sweet fried tofu
Discover smart recipes
Sign up on Homecooked to cook this recipe as the chef intended, with parallel steps and built-in timers guiding you along the way. Stock your pantry to discover more recipes you can cook with the ingredients you have at home.
Join HomecookedIngredients
- 400 g Udon noodles
- 100 g Fried tofu pouches
- 1 Kombu (dried kelp)
- 2 tbsp Japanese light soy sauce (usukuchi)
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 2 tbsp Mirin (optional)
- 2 Scallions (optional)
Method
- Slice the scallions and set aside. Simmer the fried tofu pouches in the soy, mirin, and sugar until sweet and well soaked, then set them aside.
- Make a light broth by simmering the kombu in a pot of water over low heat until fragrant, pull out the kombu, then season the broth with the soy.
- Boil the udon until tender, then drain and divide into bowls.
- Ladle the hot broth over the noodles and top with the tofu and scallion.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from ingredients; varies with exact portions and brands.
About Kitsune Udon
Kitsune udon is a classic bowl of Japanese noodle soup: thick, chewy udon in a clear dashi broth, crowned with a sheet of sweet simmered fried tofu. The name means "fox udon," from an old belief that foxes were fond of aburaage, the deep-fried tofu pouches that define the dish. It's comfort food found everywhere from noodle counters to home kitchens across Japan, prized for being gentle, warming, and quick to put together. This version builds a light broth from kombu, keeping it vegan while preserving the savory backbone that makes udon soups satisfying.
The pleasure of kitsune udon is in contrasts within a mild, soothing whole: the slippery heft of the noodles, the clean umami of the kombu-and-soy broth, and the tofu pouches, which are simmered in soy, mirin, and sugar until they drink up a sweet, almost dessert-like flavor and turn plump and juicy. Sliced scallions add freshness and a sharp bite against the sweetness. It's the kind of one-bowl meal you eat for a simple lunch or a light dinner, slurping the noodles and drinking the broth. At around twenty minutes, it comes together faster than its restaurant polish suggests, the tofu doing most of the flavor work while the noodles boil.
Kitsune Udon: frequently asked questions
What does "kitsune udon" mean?
"Kitsune" is Japanese for "fox," so kitsune udon literally means "fox udon"—but the name refers to the topping, not any fox meat. The dish is udon noodles in dashi broth topped with aburaage, sweetly simmered deep-fried tofu pouches. In Japanese folklore, fried tofu was thought to be the favorite food of foxes, the messengers of Inari (the Shinto deity of rice and harvest), which is how the tofu-topped noodles earned the name.
How many calories are in Kitsune Udon?
One serving of Kitsune Udon has about 240 calories, with 8g of protein, 39g of carbs, 6g of fat and 3g of fiber. These are estimates based on the ingredient amounts in this recipe and will vary with your exact portions and brands.
Is Kitsune Udon gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Udon noodles, Japanese light soy sauce (usukuchi). You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for those ingredients to make it gluten-free.
Do I need every ingredient to make Kitsune Udon?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out mirin, scallions — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Kitsune Udon make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.