This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy.
Kitsune Udon - easy to make, this hearty Japanese udon noodle recipe features a dashi soup that is topped with delicious deep-fried tofu.
The Best Kitsune Udon
Kitsune Udon is a Japanese soul food, featuring a hot dashi soup with udon noodles with aburaage in a sweet and salty sauce on top.
The term dashi refers to a whole family of stocks which are mostly seafood, using umami-rich ingredients such as kezurikatsuo, niboshi, kombu and even shiitake mushrooms.
Aburaage, fried thin tofu, maintains a taste of soy sauce and sugar, as you may know from this dish and also in Inarizushi.
Together, they create a hearty soup that is sure to be filling and delicious.
Ingredients For Udon
- Kezurikatsuo, bonito shavings
- Niboshi
- Soy sauce
- Mirin
- Abura-age
- Udon noodles
- Dashi
- Scallions
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kitsune literary means ‘fox’ in Japanese. It’s thought to relate to old Japanese folktales, where foxes love to eat aburaage.
If necessary, you can add almost any vegetable to the dish. Think cabbage, spinach, eggs, carrots, etc.
This recipe has 1295 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Kitsune Udon
This dish is best served as the entree. For a wholesome Japanese meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Kitsune Udon
Ingredients
Dashi:
- 4 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup kezurikatsuo, shaved bonito, loosely packed
- 3 piece dried dashi kombu, optional
Abura-age:
- 1/4 cup water
- 15 niboshi
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 4 squares abura-age, thin deep fried tofu
Udon:
- 200 g (7 oz) dry udon , or 300g (10½ oz) fresh Udon
- 4 cup dashi
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- salt , to taste
- 2 scallions , cut on the bias
- 4 slices naruto , or kamaboko cut on the bias fishcake
Instructions
- Bring the water to a boil in a pot. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer (boiling can make the stock cloudy). Place the kezurikatsuo into a disposable tea bag, or wrap it in cheesecloth and tie the top.
For the dashi:
- Drop the satchel into the water along with the kombu, if using. Alternatively, you can add the kezurikatsuo directly to the water and strain it out when the stock is done. Let it steep for about 15 minutes, then discard the tea bag or strain the stock into another pot and discard the solids.
For the Abura-age:
- Add everything except the abura-age to a small pot and bring to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the abura-age and simmer, flipping it several times until most of the liquid is absorbed and the abura-age reaches a deep brown color.
- Transfer the contents from the pot to a small bowl and allow it to cool slightly. When it’s cool enough to handle, press out some of the excess liquid. You don’t want to squeeze out all the liquid, just enough to prevent it from being too salty.
- Boil a large pot of water and cook the udon for the time specified on the package.
- Ensure the noodles are al dente, as they will be sitting in a bowl of hot broth, and you don’t want them to become soggy before you finish eating. When they’re done, rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- To finish, combine the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in a pot and heat until it comes to a simmer. Taste and add salt if you feel it needs more. Add the noodles to heat through, then divide them into two bowls.
- Top with the seasoned abura-age, scallions, and naruto, then pour the broth over everything. For a little extra color and a kick, you can serve this with shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice chili flakes).
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
1 Comment