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.
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 my Homemade Inari Age! 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
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Kitsune Udon
Video
Ingredients
For the Homemade Dashi
- 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) (2 x 5 inches, 5 x 12 cm per piece)
- 2½ cups water
- 1½ cups katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (packed; ½ oz; skip for vegetarian/vegan)
For the Soup Broth
- 2½ cups dashi (Japanese soup stock) (use standard Awase Dashi, dashi packet or powder, or Vegan Dashi); dashi recipe instructions included below)
- 1 Tbsp mirin
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce (can substitute regular soy sauce)
- ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
For the Kitsune Udon
- 4 Inari age (seasoned fried tofu pouch) (canned or refrigerated; or make my homemade Inari Age)
- 1 green onion/scallion
- 4 slices narutomaki (fish cakes) (optional; skip for vegetarian/vegan)
- 2 servings udon noodles (1.1 lb, 500 g frozen or parboiled udon noodles; 6.3 oz, 180 g dry udon noodles)
- shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) (optional; or a spicy kick)
Instructions
Before You Start…
- Gather all the ingredients. It‘s really important to have good flavorful dashi for this recipe. Although you can take a shortcut by using dashi powder or a dashi packet, I encourage you to make dashi from scratch because the broth tastes so much better! It only takes less than 30 minutes to make. See my instructions below for Awase Dashi and Kombu Dashi (vegetarian/vegan).
To Make the Homemade Dashi
- Put 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) and 2½ cups water in a measuring cup for at least 30 minutes. If you have time, soak for 3 hours or up to half a day. The kombu’s flavor comes out naturally from soaking it in water. If you don’t have time, skip soaking.
- Transfer the kombu and water to a saucepan. Slowly bring to a boil over medium-low heat.
- Just before the liquid boils (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 vegetarian/vegan Kombu Dashi and it‘s ready to use. For non-vegetarian/vegan, add 1½ cups katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) and bring it to a boil again.
- 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 homemade Awase Dashi.
To Make the Soup Broth
- In a saucepan, add 2½ cups dashi (Japanese soup stock), 1 Tbsp mirin, 1 tsp sugar, 1 Tbsp usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce, and ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat or cover and keep on a low simmer. Tip: We use the light-colored usukichi type of soy sauce here so the color of the soup broth doesn‘t become too dark.
To Prepare the Toppings
- Squeeze the excess liquid from 4 Inari age (seasoned fried tofu pouch) (or you can keep the liquid as is, if you prefer). Cut 1 green onion/scallion into thin slices. Cut 4 slices narutomaki (fish cakes) into ⅛-inch (3-mm) slices.
To Cook the Udon Noodles
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil for 2 servings udon noodles. My favorite udon is frozen Sanuki udon. Reheat the frozen udon noodles in boiling water for 1 minute (no need to defrost). If you use dry noodles, follow the package instructions.
- Pick up the noodles in a strainer or drain the hot water. Make sure to shake off the excess water (which will end up diluting your soup).
To Serve
- Divide the drained udon noodles into individual serving bowls. Pour the hot broth over the noodles to cover. Top with the Inari age, narutomaki, and green onions. Sprinkle shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) on top (optional).
To Store
Nutrition
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.
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, 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. 🙂
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…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. 🙂
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 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. 🙂
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!
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
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! 🙂
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! 🙂
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, 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). 🙂
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 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 <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. 🙂