Hot Tofu (Yudofu) 湯豆腐

If you’re looking for a new way to enjoy tofu besides adding it to miso soup or shabu shabu, this simple dish called Hot Tofu, or Yudofu (湯豆腐) in Japanese, might be your new go-to recipe! 

Yudofu is so light and healthy. It comes in handy when you’re looking for a comforting warm dish that you can prepare in a few minutes! I’ll show you how to make this simple recipe that’s also easy to adapt into a vegan or vegetarian dish.

What is Yudofu?

Yudofu (湯豆腐) is a Japanese hot pot dish with the most basic ingredients list and preparation you can imagine. It’s simply blocks of tofu boiled until hot in a light Japanese soup stock made of kombu (dried kelp), a dash of sake, and a sprinkle of salt. It’s traditionally cooked in a donabe earthenware pot, which retains heat well thanks to the thick walls and clay material.

We add a green vegetable or herb like mitsuba (Japanese parsley) for presentation. At the table, it’s served with an array of toppings of your choice. Then, it’s drizzled with a simple and savory sauce rich with umami flavor made from the Japanese pantry staples.

Serve yudofu as an appetizer, side dish, or simply a meal on its own. It’s a clean, elegant, and comforting dish to enjoy on a cold day!

Ingredients You’ll Need

• medium-firm tofu (momen dofu) – I use medium-firm texture in this recipe since it’s easier to handle; silken tofu is a popular choice in Japan
• water – for heating the tofu
• mitsuba (Japanese parsley) – I keep it simple with this Japanese herb, but you can use any green vegetable you like for color
• kombu (dried kelp) – find it at Japanese and Asian grocery stores or buy online
• sake
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt

For the Sauce

• soy sauce
• sake
• mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
• katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) – skip for vegan/vegetarian

For the Optional Toppings

• green onion/scallion – chopped
• fresh ginger – grated
• shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice)
• yuzu kosho (Japanese citrus chili paste)

Jump to Recipe

How To Make Hot Tofu (Yudofu)

This dish is unbelievably easy! With a prep time of 5 minutes and a cook time of 15 minutes, you can enjoy yudofu in just 20 minutes total time. Here’s an overview of the cooking instructions:

1. Make the kombu dashi. Let the piece of kombu soak in the water for 1–2 hours. If you‘re short on time, you can steep the water with kombu slowly over the lowest heat.
2. Make the sauce. Bring the soy sauce, sake, and mirin to a boil in a small saucepan, then add the katsuobushi. Mix with chopsticks and cook for 1–2 minutes. Pour into a small serving dish.
3. Bring the kombu dashi to a boil on medium heat in a donabe (Japanese clay pot), then add the sake and kosher salt.
4. Cut the tofu into large pieces and add to the hot kombu dashi. Heat the tofu through for several minutes. Add the mitsuba to cook.
5. Enjoy hot in individual bowls. Serve at the table with the sauce and the optional toppings.

How to Eat Yudofu

So, how do you serve and eat yudofu? There are many sauces that go well with hot tofu. You can use soy sauce, ponzu, sesame sauce, or sauce made with miso. Today, I made a special soy-based sauce (not vegetarian) with dried bonito flakes to add more soup stock flavor instead of using just plain soy sauce.

I also sprinkle the yudofu with some chopped scallions and shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice). Enjoy!

Variations on Hot Tofu

• To add meat and veggies to your hot tofu, try Shabu Shabu with tofu, thinly sliced beef/pork, shiitake mushrooms, and napa cabbage.
• Change up the broth. Make Sukiyaki that has similar ingredients to Shabu Shabu but with a sweet-savory soy sauce broth instead.
• For warm-weather months, try refreshing Japanese Cold Tofu (Hiyayakko) with delicious toppings and a cold beverage.

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