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zaru soba on bamboo plate

Zaru Soba (Cold Soba Noodles)

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Course dinner, lunch
Cuisine Japanese

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb dried soba noodles 450 g
  • 1 cup  dipping sauce 250 cc
  • 1 sheet  nori seaweed cut into thin strips
  • 2 scallions finely sliced
  • 2 tsp wasabi
  • 2 tbsp grated daikon radish (optional)
  • tsuyu dipping sauce store-bought or homemade

Instructions
 

Prep Garnishes

  • Finely slice scallions. Set aside.
  • Using kitchen scissors, cut nori seaweed into thin slices.

Cooking Soba Noodles

  • Bring 2 quarts (1.6 liters) of water to rolling boil in a large pot for ¼ pound (115 g) of noodles. *You may want to use more than one pot. Otherwise, you can cook the noodles in batches.
  • Add the noodles and stir gently back and forth with cooking chopsticks or a large spoon. 
  • When the boiling water starts to foam over, add ½ cup (120 cc) of cold water and lower the heat slightly. Repeat one or two more times.
    how to boil soba noodles
  • When the water comes to a boil a second time, test the noodles. If they are done, turn off the heat and remove from stove.
  • From time to time, remove a noodle from the pot and give it a taste test. Cold soba noodles are served al dente. 
  • When the noodles are ready, pour them into a strainer above another pot to save the broth. *Soba-yu contains proteins and minerals. 
    pour soba noodles into strainer but keep soba-yu
  • Put the noodles in a large bowl of ice water to firm them up. (optional)
  • Once the noodles have cooled off a bit, stir briskly for 5-10 seconds to wash off the starch. Rinse well. 
    rinsing soba noodles in cold water
  • Drain well using a strainer.
    100 % buckwheat soba noodles in strainer

Serving Cold Soba

  • Place the noodles on plates or in traditional zaru baskets.
    zaru soba with nori on take zaru plate
  • Garnish with strips of nori. Sprinkle on top, in the center.
  • Serve dipping sauce in individual cups. 
  • Each person adds the garnishes (wasabi, scallions, and grated daikon) to according to their personal preferences. I go easy on the scallions.
    adding wasabi and scallion onions to tsuyu dipping sauce
  • Once you have finished eating your noodles, reheat the cooking water (soba-yu).
  • Top off your remaining dipping sauce with soba-yu, according to taste. I prefer adding less soba-yu at first. 

Notes

Also refer to the cooking instructions on the package. Cooking time varies based on the thickness of the noodles.
Keyword soba, buckwheat, healthy, noodles, Japanese, low carb, superfood, gluten-free
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