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Kitsune Udon is a Japanese noodle soup in dashi broth, topped with seasoned fried tofu, pink-swirl narutomaki fish cake, and scallions. This hearty udon soup is one of the most popular, classic Japanese noodle dishes.
If you’re looking for the ultimate Japanese comfort dish that can lift up your mood any time of year, I can’t recommend enough cooking this bowl of Kitsune Udon (Noodle Soup) (きつねうどん).
The rich broth, the chewy noodles, and the fried tofu – everything comes together so nicely that you just want to hold your face above the bowl and let the aroma envelop you. It’s so simple and quick to make, so there is no excuse not to try it!
What is Kitsune Udon?
Kitsune literary means ‘fox’ in Japanese. Why do we call the dish ‘fox udon’? There are a few theories about the origin of the name.
One theory says aburaage (deep-fried tofu pouch) often appears as a fox’s favorite food in Japanese folktales, so people started to call the udon noodle soup topped with tofu pouch as “kitsune udon.”
Another theory is that people call aburaage by “kitsune” because the color of the deep-fried tofu pouch is like the color of a fox. I think this makes the most sense since we often say in Japanese recipes “cook till fox color” to figuratively describe “cook till golden brown”.
So what is kitsune udon? It’s made of chewy thick udon noodles, clear dashi broth, and aburaage seasoned well with soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Kitsune udon is served as a hot noodle soup, but in the steamy summer months, it is also served chilled with a few spoonfuls of dashi based sauce poured over.
Watch How to Make Kitsune Udon
Kitsune Udon is a Japanese noodle soup in dashi broth, topped with seasoned fried tofu, pink-swirl narutomaki fish cake, and scallions. This hearty udon soup is one of the most popular, classic Japanese noodle dishes.
3 Key Ingredients for Kitsune Udon
To make the perfect bowl of kitsune udon, you need high-quality ingredients, starting with these three: dashi, udon noodles, and aburaage.
1. Dashi Broth
I can’t stress enough about having good quality dashi. The dashi broth gives the noodle soup that rich, umami flavor that will have you sipping up the last drops.
Dashi is so important, which is why I have previously shared three ways to make dashi – using dashi powder or a dashi packet and making dashi from scratch.
For this kitsune udon recipe, I only recommend making dashi using a dashi packet or making it from scratch. Making it with dashi powder doesn’t have the depth needed to make a flavorful enough broth. Please don’t get intimidated with making dashi from scratch. It really doesn’t take a lot of time compared to using dashi powder. Spend the extra 20 minutes to make a super tasty broth – trust me, it’s worth your time, and it’s easy to make!
I recommend making Awase Dashi (kombu + katsuobushi/bonito flakes) or Katsuo Dashi (just bonito flakes) for udon noodle soup broth.
For vegetarian/vegan dashi, use Kombu Dashi.
2. Udon Noodles
Udon noodles are getting very popular outside of Japan, so you can easily purchase the noodles in regular grocery stores in the U.S. However, many products are not very good. The noodles don’t have the right texture and tend to break into pieces.
If your local Japanese or Asian grocery stores carry frozen udon noodles or packaged udon noodles that say “Sanuki”, try one of those options. They are chewier and not doughy/floury, and won’t break easily.
3. Packaged vs. Homemade Aburaage
Living outside of Japan, I know that raw ingredients can be harder to find than prepackaged foods.
Inari Age (seasoned deep-fried tofu pouch) is made of Aburaage (deep-fried tofu pouch). When you want to make homemade Inari Age, you need Aburaage, but it’s really difficult to find unless you have a well-stocked Japanese grocery store.
Packaged Inari Age is widely-available even in Asian grocery stores as they are used for making the popular Inari Sushi.
If you are the lucky one who can find aburaage, try making Homemade Inariage! It’s preservative-free and really delicious!
Vegetarian/Vegan-Friendly Kitsune Udon
There is a misconception that dashi is not vegetarian/vegan; however, that’s not completely true. Most well-known dashi is made with bonito flakes and kombu, but in our daily Japanese cooking, we also use Kombu Dashi, which is 100% vegetarian/vegan.
To make vegetarian/vegan kitsune udon, make kombu dashi and skip those spiral fish cakes as a garnish. And as simple as that, you have vegetarian/vegan kitsune udon!
Did You Watch Netflix “Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories” Season 2?
You can find this Kitsune Udon dish featured on the popular Netflix® – Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories (Season 2, Episode 7).
In the show, the master prepares a bowl of Kitsune Udon with a large homemade Inari Age. It’s such a humble dish, yet so comforting and satisfying.
Other Hot Udon Noodle Soup Recipes
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want to look for substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.
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Kitsune Udon is a Japanese noodle soup in dashi broth, topped with seasoned fried tofu, pink-swirl narutomaki fish cake, and scallions. This hearty udon soup is one of the most popular, classic Japanese noodle dishes.
- 2 ¼ cups dashi (Japanese soup stock; click to learn more) (Homemade ingredients below; or 2 ¼ cup water + 1 to 1 ¼ tsp dashi powder)
- 1 Tbsp mirin
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp usukuchi (light-color) soy sauce (or regular soy sauce; we use light color soy sauce here so the soup doesn't become too dark)
- ½ tsp kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; Use half for table salt)
- 2 ½ cups water
- 1 kombu (dried kelp) (2" x 5", 5 cm x 12 cm)
- 1 ½ cups katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (15 g, 0.5 oz: skip for vegetarian/vegan)
- 2 servings udon noodles (180 g dry udon noodles; 500 g frozen/boiled udon noodles)
- 4 Inari Age (seasoned fried tofu pouch) (You can buy canned or refrigerated inariage package; Homemade inariage recipe, click here.)
- 1 green onion/scallion
- Narutomaki (fish cakes) (optional; skip for vegetarian/vegan)
- Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese Seven Spice) (optional; sprinkle at the table)
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Gather all the ingredients. Before we start: It's really important to have good flavorful dashi for this recipe. Although you can take the shortcut by using dashi powder or dashi packet, I encourage you to make your own dashi because the broth tastes so much better! It only takes less than 30 minutes to make. For vegetarian/vegan, please use Kombu Dashi.
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Put the kombu and 2 ½ cup water in a measuring cup for at least 30 minutes. If you have time, soak for 3 hours or up to half a day. Kombu’s flavor comes out naturally from soaking in water. If you don’t have time at all, skip soaking.
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Transfer kombu and water to a saucepan. Slowly bring to a boil over medium-low heat.
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Just before boiling (you will see bubbles around the edges of the pan), remove the kombu. If you leave the kombu inside, the dashi will become slimy and bitter. Now this broth is Kombu Dashi (vegetarian/vegan) and it's ready to make udon soup. For non-vegetarian/vegan, add 1 ½ cups katsuobushi and bring it to a boil again.
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Once the dashi is boiling, reduce the heat, simmer for just 15 seconds, and turn off the heat. Let the katsuobushi sink to the bottom, about 10-15 minutes. Strain the dashi through a fine-mesh sieve set over a saucepan. Now you have roughly 2 ¼ cup dashi.
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In a saucepan, add the dashi, 1 Tbsp mirin, 1 tsp sugar, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, and ½ tsp kosher salt and bring to boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat or cover and keep on a low simmer.
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Squeeze excess liquid from the inariage (or you can keep it as it is). Cut the green onion into thin slices. Slice the Narutomaki fish cake into 1/8 inch (3 mm).
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Bring a large pot of water to boil for udon noodles. My favorite udon is the frozen Sanuki Udon. Cook the frozen udon noodles in boiling water for 1 minute (no need to defrost). If you use dry noodles, follow the package instructions.
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Pick up the noodles in a strainer or drain the hot water. Make sure to remove excess water (which will end up diluting your soup).
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Serve udon noodles and hot soup in serving bowls and top with inariage, narutomaki, green onion and sprinkles of shichimi togarashi.
Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook. All images and content on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you’d like to share this recipe on your site, please re-write the recipe in your own words and link to this post as the original source. Thank you.
Editor’s Note: The post was originally published on May 25, 2011. Pictures were updated in November 2017. The new video was added in April 2018. The post has been updated in May 2020.
Hello!
I recently discovered your blog when I googled goma ae recipe.
I am Japanese living in Australia since I was 5. I grew up eating my mum’s Japanese cooking and she is known in the community for being a great cook.
I love cooking but only made western food.
Although I love my mother’s Japanese cooking, I never cooked Japanese myself as I cannot read Japanese and the Japanese cook books available were so obviously nit genuine so I never bothered.
UNTIL I FOUND YOUR BLOG!!!!!!
I absolutely love ur recipes! They are consise, creative and traditional and very very genuine. I end up making a dish I never thought was possible by anyone other than my mum and I have ur recipes to thank.
Your blog is now on top of my bookmarked pages and I wanted to thank you for making my culinary experience more exciting and bringing my past into the present through food.
Thank you!
Hi Kae! Your comment made my day… It’s passed 2am and I am just so happy reading your comment!! 🙂 Thank you so much for leaving a comment here so that I know who is actually reading my blog. 🙂 You are lucky to have a mom who’s a great cook! I started my blog so that my kids who were born here in the US can cook Japanese food one day… I was typing my recipes in Japanese first, then I realized my kids may not be able to read what I was writing! So I started to translate my recipes into English. I’m very happy that people in the world besides my family and friends can use my recipes. Thank you again!
Oh and PS guess what’s for dinner tonight…!? Yup kitsune udon!!!!!
My mum used to give me her homemade dashi-soup in a bottle (in an isho-bin for sake) every winter so I can just dump the noodles in… Now, I’m making my own 🙂
But still need to turn to her for some “ten-kasu” he he!
Yes! You made Kitsune Udon! 🙂 I’m so happy you made it. I hope you liked the taste of the soup. I used to make just whatever, but after I started to measure, I spent some time adjusting the taste. So far I’m happy with this taste…. It all varies depends on dashi etc, but I hope you liked it! Thank you again for letting me know! I’m so happy! Your mom makes homemade tenkasu? Wow, you really should learn all the cooking from her! 🙂
I just left you a comment before the PS one…but must have been a glitch and didnt post!!!! Anyway i just saying how I love cooking but I never cooked Japanese as I can’t read Japanese and the english ones were just not genuine enough. My mum is known in the community for her cooking so I never tried to make Japanese food…. It all just seemed too hard!!! But after discovering your blog I am loving Japanese cooking and wanted to thank you for your exciting, traditional and very genuine recipes!!!!! I look to you every time and with success!!! I made the pork and eggplant roll yesterday with goma ae and loved it!!!!!!!!!
So thank you again for bringing me back my childhood in my own kitchen!
Kae, I’m sorry. Your comment was in my Spam folder so that’s why it didn’t appear on the comment section. You made Gomaae and eggplant roll too? Waaa I’m so happy! 🙂 I hope you enjoy my recipes, and let me know if you have specific recipe you want to try. I’ll think about it. 😉
I love the details and how you write your blog.. Obviously I’m gonna bookmark this recipe.. Huhuhu actually I’m from Malaysia… I’m totally gonna be a big fans of your blog🌵🌈 btw I’m a muslim and I’ve question to ask, is it okay if I didn’t put the mirin or did you have any recommendations to replace the mirin with another ingredients? ^^
Hi Pija! Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy the recipe. For Mirin and Sake substitute, please take a look at these pages.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/sake/
https://www.justonecookbook.com/mirin/
Hi Nami, I just discovered your blog today and am loving it. All your food looks so yummy. My family loves udon noodle soup. I live in SF too!! Can you tell me which store I can find the dashi packets at? I’ve seen other dashi packets but they all contain MSG. Does Ranch 99 sell them? thanks.
Hi Elaina! Thank you so much for stopping by my blog! I’m so happy you like my little space here. 🙂 I go to Marina (another Chinese market) in San Mateo and they have more variety of Japanese products since the lady who stocks the shelves is Japanese. I used to go to Ranch 99 but their Japanese products are more “American Japanese brand”…so I stopped going there. Therefore, I’m not sure if you can find dashi packet in Ranch 99… Another choice if you live in the city is Nijiya in Japan Town. Hondashi etc has MSG so I try to avoid too. I hope you can find it. You can always make it from scratch (I have the page for How To Make Dashijiru)…but it is more time consuming. 🙁 Hope this helps, and if not, please feel free to write me back!
Oh I love Kitsune udon! It’s my favorite udon ever. I haven’t had any that tastes like the type I had in Okinawa. I might try your way and see if it taste the same. Plus it looks wonderful!
Hi Akane! I hope you like the recipe. 🙂
This dish looks really delicious. I can’t wait to cook this udon dish. I read the legend before and found it wonderful.
Hi Chris! Thank you so much! Hope you enjoy this recipe. 🙂
Hi Nami,
I’m going to attempt to make this for my family (who are all recovering from colds) sometime this week. I was just wondering why you prefer using dashi over hondashi, I could only find hondashi at my local japanese store. Also they didn’t have any inariage, just aburaage but I’m told this isn’t a problem.
Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Joseph! Hondashi vs homemade is same theory as bouillon cube vs homemade chicken/vegetable broth. It tastes much better when you make soup from homemade dashi. It takes time to make homemade, so when you are sick or busy, I think it’s convenient and healthier to use hondashi and make this noodle at home than eating out or taking out food. I have nothing against hondashi but if you ask me which tastes better, definitely homemade version. No chemical in it and pure simple flavor.
I am planning to share homemade inari age recipe. Maybe when I can finish editing and writing I can post how to make inari age this week. I use Aburaage and it’s so delicious! I will do my best to finish!
Hope your family will recover from colds soon. 🙂
Thanks for the quick reply! I understand the difference now. I already bought hondashi but next time I will use your how to make Dashi guide. I definitely saw some Kombu at the store so I don’t need to worry about finding that. Would you say there’s a big difference in taste between Awase Dashi and Kombu Dashi?
I look forward to the inari age recipe, I’ll probably have the cold by the end of the week so I’ll need some Udon Soup 😀
I wrote a little bit about the difference between awase dashi and kombu dashi in this post:
https://www.justonecookbook.com/how-to/how-to-make-dashi-jiru/
Awase dashi has smoked bonito flakes (katsuobushi) in it, so it has really good smoky flavor. I like it a lot and use awase dashi for most of my dishes unless I mention. It has stronger flavor than kombu – kombu can be too subtle for some dishes that has strong seasonings.
Hope this helps. 🙂
Hi Nami,
I just made the Kitsune Udon for dinner tonight, and I am so amazed at how good it tastes. It is the real thing! When I make this for my friends, I think they will be amazed at the taste. Wow, I just can’t get over how authentic it tastes. There are alot of recipes online, but it’s hard to really recreate a lot of dishes you have eaten at restaurants to taste like it should without having the taste altered in some way. I will definitely be trying more of your recipes!
Thank you for sharing all of your recipes!
Eun
Hi Eun! Thank you so much for your kind feedback! I’m glad to hear you liked the recipe. Ingredients are very simple but the portion is the key, I guess. Japanese seasoning is always soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar… those are the typical seasoning, but each food has different portion which makes it taste a bit different. I hope you enjoy my other recipes too. Thanks again for stopping by! 🙂
Omg, i love this recipe i make it every fortnight!?!!!!
Thank you! Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
I am not a big fan of Udon… But having made this the other day, I have just changed my mind about Udon. The soup is light, comforting and delicious, especially on a cold rainy day!
Hi Alana! I always recommend people to try “Sanuki” udon. It’s more delicious than regular udon. The quality of udon varies. I always buy frozen sanuki udon. Hope you can try that kind (or tried it this time). 🙂
I’m a foreigner living in Japan and was looking for an authentic udon recipe so I can make it at home. This recipe was so delicious! Thank you!
Hi Catherine! I’m so happy you liked this recipe, and thank you very much for your feedback! Hope you are enjoying your stay in Japan! 🙂
I substituted the narutomaki with beef (my steak’s about to expire) and spinach with mushrooms but it still tasted lovely for dinner. Thanks for the recipe! 😀
Hi KN.W! Yay! I’m very happy to hear you enjoyed this dish (with substitution – it’s really a good thing not to waste food!). Thank you so much for letting me know! xo 🙂
i would try to cook this recipe for sure 🙂 I’m your big fan now will let you know how it’s going to be lol
Hi bb! Aww thank you so much! I’m happy to hear you enjoy reading my blog. 🙂 Hope you like this recipe!
Which soy sauce would be better for this recipe, Koikuchi shoyu or Usukuchi shoyu?
I really want to try it but don’t know which one to use.
Hi Ben! It’s really up to you. People in Osaka area (Kansai area) use light soup for dishes like this, so they use Usukuchi Shoyu. When they go to Tokyo area (Kanto area), they get surprised how dark the soup is. Usukuchi Shoyu is slightly saltier despite the light color. So please adjust. Hope this helps! 🙂
In your recipes, does salt refer to kosher salt or regular table salt? The amounts should vary depending on which one. Also do you use iodized or non-iodized salt, and does it make a difference?
Hi Stephen! I feel so bad. I do remember answering this question from my phone, but now I saw your comment unanswered. I think I failed to post the response somehow.
I always use kosher salt for cooking, and sometimes sea salt if I season after cooking etc. Hope this helps! I’m terribly sorry about this very late response. 🙁
I just made this tonight! So delicious and FILLING too 🙂 Next time I’m making the dashi stock in advance, though- it took me a whole 2 hours to make the stock and the inari age. But it was definitely worth it!
Hi Addie! So glad you liked it! If you make dashi from scratch, yeah it might need some time to make (if you follow the “correct” way, not skipping or cutting down on time). It’s always good to keep dashi in fridge (or freezer). 🙂 Thank you so much for trying this recipe, Addie!
I <3 udon noodles! They're really good in chicken broth, but I've made the dashi version as well. And you're right—they are good for a cold or whatever ails you. 🙂
Hi Ethel! So glad you tried the dashi version. It’s lighter and good when you’re not feeling well or don’t have much appetite. 🙂
Hi i was looking at your recipe and was wondering if memmi soup base could be used instead of dashi? Many thanks!
Hi aolsen! Yes! Usually it needs to be diluted, so adjust according to your taste. I also have Mentsuyu (same as Menmi) recipe in case you want to make from scratch. 🙂
https://www.justonecookbook.com/how-to/mentsuyu-noodle-soup-base/
I’m so excited that I found this recipe. That I found you. My family makes very good food and I’m learning from them now, but I know if I want homemade Japanese anything -short of crawling my way to Japan or into some poor stranger’s home- I’m going to have to learn to make it myself. There’s just something so beautiful about eating Japanese food. Alright.. enough fangirling over your recipes and my future as a master udon chef… Thank you.
Hi Amanda! Thank you for your kind comment. I hope you enjoy cooking from my blog, and if you have any question about ingredients or methods, or anything, feel free to email me! I’d be happy to help! 🙂 Thank you!!
Hi Nami, I recently saw your handmade udon post and it led me here. Is the flavour of kitsune udon similar to that of kake udon?
Hi Barbara! “Kake Udon” is a style of udon – basically after taking out udon from boiling water, you quickly run cold water, and then serve in a bowl and pour hot dashi broth over. Kitsune udon can be the same but with deep fried tofu as a topping. So yes, the flavor is the same (it’s up to how you season the broth). 🙂
Wow this looks really great! I love Japanese foods, but once I tried Kitsune udon, I’ve never been more hooked to any other dishes. It’s simple, but all the fundamental points of a good meal is there in this humble dish.
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Hi Odi! I’m so happy to hear you like Kitsune Udon! It’s one of my most favorite noodle soup recipes too! Hope you enjoy this recipe at home! 🙂
Hi Nami,
After some googling about Hondashi you are probably the only person who will be able to help me (as always 🙂 ).
I read that Hondashi is the “real dashi” and has only the fish taste, no konbu and is kind of like more superior in taste to katsuo dashi. And it costs like 3 times more than katsuo dashi powder. Is the konbu ingredient the only difference between hondashi and katsuo dashi? When do you use hondashi exactly? I would really like a few examples/recipes where you should use hondashi and not katsuo dashi.
Thank you in advance!!
Hi Alina! First of all, please know that Hondashi is the name of product by the company called Ajinomono.
http://www.ajinomoto.co.jp/products/detail/?ProductName=hondashi
If you use Google chrome, you can translate the page to English, and here’s the “ingredients” for Hondashi:
Salt, sugars (sugar, lactose), flavor raw materials (dried bonito powder, and extract), yeast extract, wheat protein fermented seasoning, yeast extract fermented seasoning / seasoning (such as amino acids)
I don’t know your source of information, but I don’t consider Hondashi as “real dashi”.
And also, there is no “superior” dashi when it comes to the types of dashi – Katsuo Dashi, Kombu Dashi, Iriko Dashi, Awase Dashi, etc.
It’s just different dashi made with different ingredients and we will need all these different types based on the food we make.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/how_to/how-to-make-dashi-jiru/
Hondashi (according to ingredients list) doesn’t include any kombu so it’s basically Katsuo Dashi because it only includes bonito flakes and extract etc as flavor.
I do not use Hondashi anymore in my cooking because it just has extra “stuff” in the powder that I do not need. I can make it from scratch and made it with bonito flakes (katsuo) and kombu – which is awase dashi that I use for most of cooking.
I put “dashi” in most of my recipes, unless I specified. Some recipes require only kombu dashi etc. It’s up to you what type of dashi you want to use. If you like Katsuo Dashi, you can do that. If you want Awase Dashi – the combination of kombu and katsuo, you can do that too.
So basically Hondashi is powder form of Katsuo Dashi. You can make katsuo dashi with Katsuobushi or use instant powder like Hondashi, but most of the Hondashi available outside of Japan has MSG in it.
Hope this helps! 🙂
Kitsune udon is one of my favorite things to get at Mitsuwa!
Hi Cynthia! I always love Kitsune udon too, because I love the sweet aburaage. 🙂 I haven’t had Kitune Udon at Mitsuwa. Is it good? I should give it a try! 🙂
Dear Nami,
Thank you for this recipe. I have a cold myself, and this big bowl of kitsune udon (with homemade dashi from your recipe) has made me feel that bit better. It was delicious – what a broth! Your website is an awesome resource.
Thanks!
From the UK
Hi LG! I’m sorry to hear you’re sick. 🙁 I’m glad this recipe made you feel a bit better. Please take good care and get well soon! 🙂 Thank you for reading my blog! xoxo
Hey, Nami. Thanks for the recipe.
I’ve recently been breaking into the Japanese food scene; this is a dish that I’d heard a lot about before, but have never made. You make it sound really easy! I’m excited to try my hand at it.
Just wanted to thank you for sharing your knowledge. Hope you’re well.
Hi Ryan! It’s cool to hear you heard about udon a lot because a lot of people are into ramen these days. I want udon to be the next thing! 🙂 Kitsune Udon is very simple and light, and I hope you enjoy. I highly recommend Udon brand that’s frozen and called Sanuki udon. Texture is better than any other kinds. 🙂 . Thank you for your sweet comment!
Hi there.
Great to have found your blog. Thank you. My son is a great fan of iron noodles. And I have been trying to find the proper broth for it.
Hi Jason! Thank you for finding my blog! 🙂 Hope your son will like this broth. 🙂
Your recipe for udon broth is fantastic! So easy and I bet it’s healthier than using those packets included in the Udon package. Thanks!
Hi Linda! Thank you so much!!! Yeah I agree. The package soup includes preservatives etc so homemade is the best! 🙂
Hi…was wondering if u have a non spicy shoyu ramen recipe? I made the miso ramen last time…i love it but my hubby doesn’t like the taste of doubanjiang. Will the miso ramen taste different without the doubanjiang? Do u have any other easy to make ramen recipe as well? I wanted to make the pork bones one (tonkatsu ramen) but it seemed so difficult and process is so long….thanks very much. We are Chinese who have moved to Australia and my kids missed Japanese food especially Ramen. We can’t get even a decent bowl of ramen here (by the way we are in Adelaide)..
HI Celestine! Hmm you can decrease the amount of doubanjiang but to make a quick and easy homemade version without spending HOURS of making soup, it requires some strong flavoring like doubanjiang.
You can try my Vegetarian ramen and add meat if you like. It’s so similar to Tonkotsu broth, and adding meat (chashu and ground pork while cooking the broth) adds extra rich flavor.
You can always change to non-spicy for my shoyu ramen too. 🙂
Oh..my son loves this Kitsune Udon. I too buy this brand of udon noodles cos it’s chewy. Your udon looks just like the ones serve in Japanese restaurants.
Thank you for your kind compliment. 🙂 Glad you can buy the same udon noodles! I tried different ones, but they are the best we can find here (outside of Japan). 😀
Hi, if using inari age from a packet, do I need to heat them up in some way before adding them to the soup? I’ve never used them before, but I bought a packet recently and would really like to learn how to use them. 🙂
Hi Michelle! Nope, we don’t really heat up (but you definitely can). You would place it on top of hot noodle soup, and it will be hot immediately when you dunk it in the soup. 🙂
Thank you, Nami! I am sensitive to MSG so I have to make everything from scratch as commercial mixes contain lots of salt and MSG. I am very thankful for your blog!
Hi Marsha! I’m so happy to hear that my recipes are helpful. Yeah, I try to avoid MSG, even though in my case, I can’t avoid 100% (curry roux, dressing, and some sauces etc that I rely on occasionally). Let me know if there is any recipe that I can help you make, which you can’t make due to MSG in it. 🙂
Hi Nami,
Your udon recipe says two servings. Should I double the amount of water that is used to soak the khombu if I want to have four to five servings of dashi?
Hi Aurora! Yes, you will need the right amount of kombu dashi for cooking. 🙂
If I make the dashi using packets, how many, and how long to steep (or simmer) to replicate this recipe?
Thanks!
Hi Tom! Do you mean dashi packet (like tea bag)? You will need 2 ½ cups water and drop one bag in the water and boil. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes and remove the packet. Hope that helps!
Good Afternoon,Nami I just finished cooking Kitsune Udon.It was delicious.Like you said it comes well together.I loved the tofu pouches.Which I found in Manhattan Japanese grocery store.I also purchased red yuzu kosho.I wanted to try this kosho as opposed to the green one.Thanks for your great website.
Hi Ramon! I’m so happy to hear you tried this recipe! And you found red yuzu kosho! How did you like it compared to the green one? Thanks so much for trying this recipe! 🙂
Hi I’m from Malaysia, my girls love udon. Just made this last night, it was good but I need more practise.
Hi Hazarina! I’m so happy to hear your girls enjoy udon! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! 🙂
Nami,
Another wonderful recipe, thank you! I’ve made this before with the udon but tonight I only have soba on hand – do you think that would work okay? Thanks!
Alex
Hi Alex! Thank you so much for your kind comment. I’m sorry for my late response. Yes, we do make/eat both Kitsune Udon and Kitsune Soba. 🙂
Hello Nami. How to make this using your leftover mentsuyu? Thanks.
Hi Juliana! Mentsuyu is noodle soup base, so all you need to do is to dilute the base to your liking. Usually 1 part mentsuyu : 2-3 parts water. 🙂
Thanks! I’ll try that tomorrow. I have leftover mentsuyu after making your yaki udon.
Wonderful! Enjoy! 🙂
How can you make this a complete balanced meal? The green onions seem more like a garnish than a vegetable although I use a lot, and the inariage is a tofu type protein to me. Is that wrong? I had this again today (yum!) and had some kimchi for more vegetables.
How long does narutomaki keep after it’s opened? Can I freeze it? I love this recipe but I make it for just myself so there are leftover ingredients and I don’t want to get tired of it by having it too often.
Hi Doreen! You can freeze the narutomaki or keep in the fridge for up to a week or so once you open it.
Now for a complete meal, we usually have a small bowl of Japanese side dishes to accompany a noodle soup bowl. 🙂
https://www.justonecookbook.com/categories/recipes/side/
We are on lockdown here in New Delhi, India but luckily I had all the ingredients in my pantry to make this yummy and comforting soup. The only change I made was to add thinly sliced fried tofu. Delicious!
Hi Smruti! I hope you’re safe and healthy. We have to use what we have at home, especially this unusual time. Please take good care! Thank you for trying this recipe. xoxo
Hi Nami, I haven’t made this yet, but am getting ready for it. My boyfriend is vegetarian and as much as I love bonito flakes and the fish cake I will have to leave them out. For the Dashi i will use your Kombu + dry shiitake dashi that I use for my very successful vegetarian ramen (love them!), as toppings, anything else you could suggest together with the Inari Age? Perhaps ramen egg or mushrooms? Any tip is welcome! I love Japanese food, thanks a lot, I have always found it difficult for the number of ingredients to have in the cupboard, but somehow you manage to make it very easy. thanks, Ilaria
Hi Ilanria! In Japan, Kitsune Udon is a very simple dish (like Margherita – I love your site!).
See? Just Inari Age and green onion in most Kitsune Udon images: https://www.google.com/search?q=%E3%81%8D%E3%81%A4%E3%81%AD%E3%81%86%E3%81%A9%E3%82%93&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS727US727&sxsrf=ALeKk000fzOCfAyB2BK9qkA3WDnAhJTW2g:1590345522853&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwizs9bfks3pAhUhGDQIHVy9A-0Q_AUoAXoECAwQAw&biw=1331&bih=1100
So… it’s up to you if you want to add ramen egg or mushrooms. Traditionally we don’t, but anything possible? Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Thanks for sharing your recipes and your cooking videos are also very well made. Have tried the Kitsune Udon recipe and my family loves it. Looking forward to try the other recipes.
Hi Ginny! So glad to hear that. Thanks so much for trying my recipe!!