Next in my Japanese Summer Noodle series is Zaru Soba. This classic dish makes an easy and healthy quick meal and is perfect for warm days.
Zaru Soba is a popular chilled noodle dish in Japan. While it’s a chilled dish and often enjoyed during hot weather, it’s very popular year-round.
It’s comprised of soba and tsuyu. Soba are buckwheat noodles. They are earthy and light and very healthy! Tsuyu is a light soy-sauce-and-dashi based dipping broth.
Soba Toppings & Pairings
When eating soba, there are usually toppings or garnish that you mix into your tsuyu that you then dip your soba into when eating. The most common is wasabi and green onions but here are some other topping ideas:
- Green onions
- Wasabi
- Grated ginger
- Grated daikon
Tempura also pairs beautifully with soba. This meal is called Ten-Zaru Soba which is one of the most popular ways to enjoy soba!
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Zaru Soba (Chilled Soba Noodles) / ざるそば
Ingredients
- 2 bundles (servings) soba noodles dried or frozen
- water for boiling noodles
- green onions sliced
- wasabi
Tsuyu
- 1 cup water
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp mirin
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp dashi bottled concentrate or granules
Instructions
Tsuyu
- In a small pot over medium heat, combine all tsuyu ingredients. Mix well until boiling.
- Remove from heat and allow it to cool down (either to room temperature or chill in the fridge).
Soba
- In a pot of boiling water, cook soba according to package instructions.
- Once cooked, drain and rinse in cold water. If you would like your noodles even colder, you can dunk them in an ice water bath.
- Place the chilled soba noodles onto a plate or a zaru (a bamboo strainer).
- Pour chilled tsuyu into a small bowl or soba cup.
- Put topping ingredients onto a plate.
- To enjoy: put topping ingredients of choice into your tsuyu and mix. Take some soba and dip directly into the tsuyu cup and slurp. Repeat and enjoy!
Notes
Shop this post:
Soba Plates
Karu:ecle Blue Soba Cup
Tsuyu / 本つゆ
Soba / そば
Soy Sauce Plates
Soy Sauce / 醬油
Mirin / みりん
Dashi / だし
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