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Warm up with a piping hot bowl of Kitsune Udon topped with savory-sweet fried tofu, scallions and yuzu.
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Vegan Kitsune Udon

With thick, chewy udon noodles in an umami-packed broth, topped with juicy slabs of savory-sweet tofu, Kitsune Udon is the most popular udon noodle soup in Japan. My version is made with konbu and shiitake mushroom dashi, making this Kitsune Udon recipe vegan and vegetarian friendly.
Course Soups & Stews
Cuisine Japanese
Keyword noodle-soup, udon
Level Beginner
Main Ingredient Noodles, Tofu
Diet Dairy-Free, Low-Fat, Pescatarian, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 9 minutes
Soaking time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 12 minutes
Servings 1 serving
Calories 326kcal
Author Marc Matsumoto

Equipment

Ingredients

For udon soup

  • 1 ½ cup water (room temperature)
  • 4 grams konbu (credit card sized piece)
  • 3 grams dried shiitake mushroom (1 small mushroom)
  • 2 teaspoons usukuchi soy sauce
  • ½ teaspoon evaporated cane sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

For Inari Agé

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

To serve

  • 1 serving udon (boiled according to the package directions)
  • 1 scallion (thinly sliced)
  • Yuzu (see video for making garnish)
  • Shichimi togarashi (to taste)
Grams + US Cups - US Standard

Instructions

  • Add the 4 grams konbu and 3 grams dried shiitake mushroom to a bowl with 1 ½ cup water. Let these rehydrate fully. This could take anywhere from 30-60 minutes.
    1 ½ cup water, 4 grams konbu, 3 grams dried shiitake mushroom
    Steep the dried shiitake mushroom and konbu in water to make the plant-based dashi.
  • To make the Inari Agé, bring a pan of water to a boil and add the 1 aburaage. Boil this for about a minute or until the water becomes cloudy with oil from the fried tofu.
    1 aburaage
    Boil the aburaage to get rid of any excess oil in the tofu.
  • Drain the water and clean out the pan. Slice the aburaage in half.
    Cut the aburaage in half.
  • Add the ½ teaspoon evaporated cane sugar, 2 tablespoons sake, 2 tablespoons waterand 2 teaspoons usukuchi soy sauce to the clean pan and bring the mixture to a boil. Return the aburaage to the pan. If your shiitake has rehydrated, you can also trim the stem off and add that in as well.
    1 tablespoon evaporated cane sugar, 2 tablespoons sake, 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon usukuchi soy sauce
    Making Inari Agé with fried tofu, soy sauce, sugar and sake.
  • Flip everything repeatedly until there is almost no water left in the pan. Then, turn off the heat and set the Inari Agé aside while preparing the udon broth.
    Cook the fried tofu with the soy sauce and sugar to make the Inari Agé.
  • Once the shiitake mushroom and konbu are rehydrated, remove them from the soaking liquid and set them aside. Pour the soaking liquid into a saucepan through a fine-mesh strainer. Discard the last bit of water at the bottom of the bowl.
    Strain the shiitake mushroom and konbu dashi through a sieve.
  • Add the 1 tablespoon usukuchi soy sauce, 1 tablespoon evaporated cane sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt to the stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Skim off any foam that floats to the surface.
    2 teaspoons usukuchi soy sauce, ½ teaspoon evaporated cane sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt
    Skimming vegan udon broth.
  • To serve your kitsune udon, pour the soup into a serving bowl. Add the boiled and drained 1 serving udon and then top with the Inari Agé, 1 scallion, and Yuzu zest. Serve with Shichimi togarashi.
    1 serving udon, 1 scallion, Yuzu, Shichimi togarashi
    Assembling Kitsune Udon.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 2707mg | Potassium: 159mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 124IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 2mg