Zaru soba is a Japanese dish of chilled buckwheat noodles served with a cold dipping sauce.
It may look like a restaurant dish, but it is one of the simplest Japanese meals to prepare at home. Using bottled mentsuyu removes the need to buy dashi, mirin, and several other Japanese seasonings separately.
The most important step is rinsing the cooked noodles thoroughly. This removes excess starch and gives the soba its clean, firm texture.
Ingredients
Makes 2 to 3 servings.
For the Soba
- 1 package Hakubaku Organic Soba, 9.5 oz
- Cold water
- Ice, optional
For the Dipping Sauce
- Kikkoman Hon Tsuyu concentrated noodle soup base
- Cold water, according to the dilution instructions on the bottle
For Serving
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 sheet roasted nori, cut into thin strips
- Wasabi, optional
How to Make Zaru Soba
1. Prepare the dipping sauce
Dilute the Kikkoman Hon Tsuyu with cold water according to the instructions on the bottle.
Prepare approximately ⅓ to ½ cup of diluted dipping sauce for each person.
Place the sauce in the refrigerator while cooking the noodles.
2. Cook the soba
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Salt and oil are not needed.
Remove the paper ribbon from the noodles before placing them in the pot.
Add the soba and stir gently to separate the strands. Cook for approximately four minutes, following the package directions.
3. Rinse the noodles
Drain the cooked soba immediately.
Rinse the noodles thoroughly under cold running water. Gently move them with your hands until they feel cool and no longer sticky.
For colder noodles, place them briefly in a bowl of ice water.
Drain very well. Excess water will dilute the dipping sauce.
4. Serve
Divide the chilled noodles between serving plates.
Scatter the shredded nori over the soba. Serve the sliced green onion and optional wasabi on the side.
Pour the chilled dipping sauce into small individual cups.
How to Eat Zaru Soba
Add a small amount of green onion to the dipping sauce.
Pick up a bite-sized portion of noodles and dip the lower part into the sauce. The sauce has a concentrated flavor, so the noodles do not need to be completely submerged.
Add wasabi only if desired.
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Two Japanese Pantry Products for an Easy Meal
Hakubaku Organic Soba
Hakubaku Organic Soba is made with organic wheat flour, organic buckwheat flour, and water.
The noodles are produced in Australia by Hakubaku, a Japanese grain and noodle company. One 9.5-ounce package makes approximately two to three servings.
Hakubaku Organic Soba — 9.5 oz
Kikkoman Hon Tsuyu
Kikkoman Hon Tsuyu is a concentrated Japanese noodle soup base made with soy sauce, fish-based dashi, mirin, and other seasonings.
Diluting it with cold water creates a dipping sauce for zaru soba without preparing dashi or buying mirin separately. It can also be used for udon, hot noodle soup, rice bowls, and Japanese simmered dishes.
Kikkoman Japanese Noodle Soup Base — Hon Tsuyu, 17 fl oz