Go Back
–+ servings
Print
Kitsune udon is Japanese comfort food at it's best. Flavorful and satisfying and yet it's neither rich nor cloying.

Kitsune Udon (Seasoned Fried Tofu Udon)

Kitsune Udon (きつねうどん) is a delicious meatless Japanese noodle soup that's topped with a thick slice of seasoned fried tofu. The combination of the thick chewy udon noodles, clear dashi broth and savory sweet inari-agé is a match made in heaven, which is probably why Kitsune Udon is one of the most popular bowls of udon in Japan.
Course Entree, Soups & Stews
Cuisine Japanese
Level Beginner
Main Ingredient Noodles, Tofu
Diet Dairy-Free, Pescatarian
Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 2 bowls
Calories 115 kcal

Ingredients

For inari-agé

  • 1 aburaage (about 50 grams)
  • 1 tablespoon evaporated cane sugar
  • 2 tablespoons sake
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

For udon

  • 2 servings udon
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons mentsuyu *see note
  • 2 1/2 cups water

For garnish

  • kamaboko (Japanese fish cake(
  • 1 scallion (thinly sliced)
  • shichimi togarashi

Instructions

  1. Fill a pan with some water and bring to a boil. Add the aburaage and boil for about 1 minute. Pressing down on it with a spatula to help coax out any extra oil.
    Boiling the abura-age first, removes any excess oil from the fried tofu, ensuring your kitsune udon doesn't end up greasy.
  2. Drain the aburaage in a strainer and use something (other than your hand) to press any excess water out of it. Slice the aburaage in half.
  3. Wipe-out the pan with a paper towel and then add the sugar, sake, water, and soy sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil and then add the aburaage.
    The abura-age is seasoned with a savory sweet mixture of soy sauce, sake and sugar.
  4. Simmer until there is almost no sauce left in the pan.
    Kitsune udon is topped with abura-age (fried tofu) seasoned with soy sauce, sake and sugar.
  5. To make the soup for the kitsune udon, simply dilute 3 1/2 tablespoons of my mentsuyu with 2 1/2 cups of water (for 2 servings) and heat in a pot.
    Dashi broth for kitsune udon.
  6. Boil the udon according to the package directions, drain well.
    The udon noodles get boiled until al dente before being combined with the dashi broth to make kitsune udon.
  7. Split the udon between two bowls and then place an inari-agé in each bowl. Garnished with the sliced scallions and kamaboko and then finish your kitsune udon by pouring the soup over the top. Serve with shichimi togarashi.

Notes:

The ratio of mentsuyu to water assumes you use my mentsuyu recipe here. If you bought your mentsuyu, follow the directions on the bottle.

Nutrition Facts
Kitsune Udon (Seasoned Fried Tofu Udon)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 115
% Daily Value*
Sodium 2292mg96%
Potassium 85mg2%
Carbohydrates 18g6%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 60IU1%
Vitamin C 3.3mg4%
Calcium 38mg4%
Iron 1.6mg9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.