Soft, chewy noodles in a piping hot dashi broth, topped with a thin slice of fish cake, chopped scallions, and a savory piece of deep fried seasoned tofu. These are the simple ingredients that make up one of my favorite Japanese comfort food dishes-- kitsune udon. The combination of sweet and savory flavors along with the variety of textures presented from the noodles, fish cake and inari age tofu make a dish that just tastes like home. Kitsune translates to “fox” in Japanese and in this case refers to the golden brown (fox color) of the tofu central to the dish’s construction. Like all true soul foods, kitsune udon is a breeze to prepare making it a perfect cap to a busy evening or day when you’re feeling under the weather.
Kitsune Udon
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1 package frozen sanuki udon noodles
1 ¼ cups water
2 tbsp Kikkoman Shiro Dashi Hon Tsuyu
3 thin slices kamaboko
½ tbsp wakame seaweed
2 pieces inari age tofu
½ tbsp scallion, thinly chopped
Instructions:
Prepare the broth by combining 2 tbsp Kikkoman Shiro Dashi Hon Tsuyu with 1 ¼ cups of water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add the block of udon noodles. Cook until the noodles are soft, but not soggy. For frozen udon, this should take about 1 minute.
Strain the noodles from the water and place them in a large soup bowl.
Add kamaboko, inari age tofu, and wakame seaweed.
Pour the hot soup broth over the noodles and other garnishes.
Top with scallion and enjoy!