Japanese
Zaru Soba
Chilled buckwheat noodles with clean, resilient texture and a concentrated dashi-soy dipping sauce served with classic garnishes.
4 servings · 15 minutes prep · 15 minutes cook
Ingredients
Soba Tsuyu
- 1/3 cup hon mirin
- 1/3 cup Japanese soy sauce
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups strong ichiban dashi
Soba
- 14 oz high-quality dried soba noodles
- 1 sheet toasted nori, cut into fine threads
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 tsp freshly grated wasabi, or Japanese prepared wasabi
Directions
Make the Tsuyu and Condiments
- Bring the mirin to a boil in a small saucepan and boil 30 seconds. Stir in the soy sauce and sugar, simmer 1 minute, and add the dashi. Bring just to a simmer, remove from the heat, and cool completely. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.
- Divide the scallions and wasabi among four small condiment dishes. Set out four small dipping cups.
Cook and Rinse the Soba
- Bring at least 4 quarts unsalted water to a vigorous boil in a large pot. Shake excess flour from the soba, scatter the noodles into the water, and stir once gently. Cook according to the package timing until tender with a faintly resilient center, usually 4 to 6 minutes; do not add oil or salt.
- Scoop out 2 cups of the cloudy soba cooking water and keep it hot in a small pitcher. Drain the noodles immediately in a colander and plunge them into a large bowl of cold water. Gently rub and lift the noodles to wash away surface starch, changing the water until it remains clear. Finish in ice water for 30 seconds, then drain exceptionally well.
Drain, Arrange, and Serve
- Divide the soba loosely among four zaru trays or plates fitted with bamboo mats so water cannot pool beneath it. Scatter the nori over the noodles and pour the cold tsuyu into the dipping cups.
- Add scallion and wasabi to the tsuyu a little at a time, pick up a small bundle of soba, and dip only its lower portion before eating. After the noodles are finished, dilute the remaining tsuyu to taste with the reserved hot soba cooking water and drink it as soba-yu.
