Go Back
–+ servings

Abura Soba (Soupless Ramen)

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 2 servings

Ingredients 
 

Tare (sauce)

Abura Soba

Instructions 

Mix the Tare

  • To each serving bowl, add 2 tsp oyster sauce, 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp sesame oil, a pinch of chicken stock powder, 1/2 tsp lard, 1/2 tsp garlic paste, 1/4 tsp of light brown sugar, and 1 tsp water.
    abura soba tare in a black bowl
    • If you're making many portions and don't want to make each individually, scale up the recipe and mix the tare in a jug. Microwave and divide between warmed serving bowls.
  • Mix the sauce and cover the bowls with a plate or plastic wrap, then set aside.
    abura soba tare in a black bowl covered with plastic wrap

Prepping and Assembling the Abura Soba

  • Boil 2 portions ramen noodles according to the package instructions.
    ramen noodles boiling in a large pot of water
  • While you wait, mix 3 tbsp finely chopped green onions, ½ tbsp ground sesame seeds and 1 pinch ground black pepper together in a bowl.
    chopped green onions mixed with ground sesame seeds
  • When the noodles have 1 minute left of cooking time, heat the bowls with the tare in the microwave for 1 minute on 600W.
    heated abura soba tare in a bowl
    • No microwave? Warm the bowls by pouring freshly boiled water in them instead. Tip it out before you add the tare, then mix well so that the lard melts in the residual heat.
  • Take the bowls from the microwave and remove the cover.
    mixed abura soba tare in a bowl
  • Drain the noodles and divide them between serving bowls, placing them on top of the tare.
    cooked ramen noodles placed on top of abura soba tare
  • Arrange pork chashu, ramen eggs, bamboo shoots, nori, narutomaki or your choice of fillings over the noodles.
    Abura soba soupless ramen in a black bowl topped with ramen egg, narutomaki, menma, chashu, green onion and kizami nori
  • Drizzle with chili oil and rice vinegar to taste, then mix thoroughly before eating. Enjoy!

Notes

The bowl and sauce must be hot when the noodles land: A cold bowl seizes the lard and the sauce splits into greasy puddles instead of a glossy coat. Warming the sauce through in the bowl fixes both at once.
Cook the noodles fully, do not pull them early: With no broth to finish them in the bowl, noodles pulled early stay stiff. A fully cooked, slightly soft surface is exactly what the sauce grabs onto, so a too-firm strand sheds the sauce.
Eat it the moment it is mixed: The glossy coat and the aroma are at their best in the first minutes and break down as the bowl cools. Have every topping within reach before you drain, so nothing keeps you waiting.
Prep only the toppings ahead: An assembled bowl does not keep, since the noodles go soft and dry. Slice the chashu, egg, and menma in advance if you like, but boil the noodles and mix the sauce fresh each time.
If you don't own a microwave: Warm your serving bowls by filling them with boiling water for a minute and tipping it out, then mix the sauce right in the hot bowl, or melt it in a small saucepan first. A cold bowl is where the lard sets hard and the sauce breaks, so the warmth matters more than the appliance.