Cold soba noodles, or Zaru Soba, is a classic summertime meal in Japan accompanied by a savoury dipping sauce called tsuyu, and natural condiments called yakumi. You can simply mix cold soba noodles with beans or vegetables to create a healthy salad meal at home.
HEALTHY ASIAN CUISINE.COM
Makes: 3-4 Servings Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Japanese, Vegan, Vegetarian
Author: Healthy Asian Cuisine Prep
Ingredients
- 225g/8oz Soba (buckwheat) noodles
For Dashi Stock
- 10g Kombu (kelp), cut into small pieces
- 1-litre water
For dipping sauce
- 500ml/2 cups dashi
- 5 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari, or according to taste
- 2 tablespoons sake
- ½ to 1 tablespoon date sugar or other sweeteners, according to taste
For serving
- 2 teaspoons wasabi
- 2 spring onions, finely chopped
- 100 grams daikon, grated and drained
- 1 sheet nori, cut into thin strips with scissors
- 200 grams firm tofu, julienned
- 1 tablespoon toasted black sesame seeds (optional)
Method
Step 1: Preparing the Dipping Sauce
- Place the kombu into a large measuring cup or glass jug and then add 1 litre of water. Let steep, in the refrigerator overnight or approximately 10 hours. The kombu’s natural flavour will come out just from soaking it in the water.
- To make the dipping sauce, add the dashi, soy sauce, sake and sugar into a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Let’s boil for 1 minute to allow alcohol in the sake to evaporate then set it aside to cool.
Step 2: Preparing All Other Ingredients
- Wrap the tofu with a kitchen towel and press to take out access water. Then cut the tofu into strips that resemble matchsticks.
- Finely chop the spring onions.
- Grate the daikon with a daikon grater or the coarse part of a box grater. Strain the grated daikon with a fine mesh sieve then set it aside in a dish.
- With a clean pair of scissors, slice the nori into half and then half again then stack them up together and cut them into 2 ½ inches-long thin strips.
Step 3: Cooking the Soba Noodles
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the soba noodles and stir for about 30 seconds to ensure the noodles are not sticking together. Continuously boiling the noodles with medium-high heat for the amount of time specified on the package.
- Transfer the noodles to a strainer using a pair of chopsticks or tongs.
- Wash the soba under cold running water to remove excess starch on the noodles’ surface.
- Transfer the soba noodles to a big bowl of ice water and let the noodles chill for a couple of minutes.
Step 4: Serving the Cold Soba Noodles
- In Japan, Zaru Soba is served on a zaru, a traditional woven strainer. Chilled soba noodles also can be served in a large flat basket.
- If you can’t find a zaru in your country just serve the chilled soba noodles in a flat bowl, garnish the noodles with some julienned tofu, nori strips, spring onions, and black sesame seeds then pour the dipping sauce over the noodles. Your chilled soba noodles are now ready to be enjoyed.
- Another method to enjoy your cold soba noodles is by scooping small amounts of soba and bundling them up into small mounds in a bowl. Then grab a bite of noodles, and dip them into the sauce flavour with condiments.
| Notes: Yakumi – In Japan Yakumi is a natural condiment that is used both as a food seasoning and in medicine to sterilize. Some yakumi is made from vegetables or used as a spice. Examples of vegetable Yakumi are wasabi, daikon (white radish) or ginger. Yakumi adds extra flavour and taste to Japanese food. Zaru – It is a traditional woven strainer used to serve cold soba noodles. Kombu – Do not discard leftover kombu from the stock, it can be used to make a delicious “Kombu Seaweed Salad”. |
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