Zaru Soba (Cold Buckwheat Noodles with Homemade Dipping Sauce)
https://sudachirecipes.comZaru soba is a traditional Japanese dish made with buckwheat noodles served on a bamboo tray. It's enjoyed with a dashi based dipping sauce called "mentsuyu" and served cold. It's a refreshing dish perfect for hot days!
Equipment
- Bamboo Zaru
Ingredients
- 100 ml dashi stock Use kombu/shiitake dashi for plant-based diets
- 20 ml soy sauce
- 20 ml mirin
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 dried shiitake mushroom(s)
- 120 g dry soba noodles (approx 60g/2oz per portion)
- ice cubes for cooling
- 2 tbsp shredded sushi nori seaweed "kizami nori" (kizami nori) optional
Additions
- 1 tsp wasabi paste
- 1 tsp ginger root grated
- 2 tbsp tempura flakes (tenkasu) (tenkasu/agedama)
- 2 tbsp finely chopped green onions
Instructions
- Take a small pan and add 100 ml dashi stock, 20 ml soy sauce and 20 ml mirin. Boil for 1 minute, add 1 tsp sugar to the pan and mix until dissolved.
- Take the pan off the heat, pour the dipping sauce into a heatproof jug and add 1 dried shiitake mushroom(s). Leave to cool, then once cool to the touch, chill in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
- Cook 120 g dry soba noodles according to the instructions on the packaging (usually 5-6 minutes).
- Once cooked, pour the soba noodles into a strainer and drain away the cooking water. Rinse under cold water and add a few ice cubes to chill them quickly.
- Divide 1 tsp wasabi paste, 1 tsp ginger root, 2 tbsp tempura flakes (tenkasu) and 2 tbsp finely chopped green onions between small individual serving plates.
- Place the soba noodles on the "zaru" and sprinkle 2 tbsp shredded sushi nori seaweed "kizami nori" over the top. Serve each portion with individual cups of dipping sauce and the plate of additional ingredients to mix in.
- Enjoy it on its own or with crispy tempura!
Notes
You can use the same recipe to make zaru udon, just replace the udon noodles with soba noodles.
If you're doubling or tripling the recipe, the mentsuyu will take longer to cool.
You can keep left over mentsuyu in the fridge for about 1 month so I recommend making extra if you plan to make zaru udon or zaru soba often during the summer!
If you want to make it vegan, you can use my vegan awase dashi recipe.