Japanese · Lunch · Dinner
Zaru Soba
ざるそば
Nutty buckwheat noodles, rinsed ice-cold and served on a bamboo tray with a savoury homemade dashi dipping sauce, scallions, nori and a dab of wasabi. A light, refreshing meal for hot days.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Serves
- 2
Calories come from: Carbs 76% · Fat 7% · Protein 17%
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Ingredients
For 2 servings- 180 g (2 bundles)dried 100% buckwheat soba noodles (juwari, no added salt)
- 1 2/3 cups400 gwater for the dashi
- 1 piece, about 10 cm5 gkombu (dried kelp)
- 1 packed cup10 gbonito flakes (katsuobushi)
- 2 1/2 tbsp40 greduced-sodium soy sauce
- 3 1/2 tbsp60 gmirin
- 8 cups2,000 gwater for boiling the noodles
- 2 cups300 gice cubes
- 2 medium30 gscallions, thinly sliced
- 1 sheetnori sheet, cut into thin strips
- 1 tsp5 gwasabi paste
- 1/2 cup80 gdaikon radish, finely grated (optional)
- 1 tsptoasted sesame seeds (optional)
Steps
- 1
Wipe the kombu with a damp cloth and soak it in the 400 g of dashi water in a small saucepan for 10 minutes while you prep the toppings.
- 2
Slice the scallions, cut the nori into thin strips and grate the daikon if using.
- 3
Heat the kombu water over medium-low heat and remove the kombu just before it boils.
- 4
Add the bonito flakes, simmer gently for 1 minute, then turn off the heat and let them steep for 5 minutes.
- 5
Strain the dashi through a fine sieve, pressing lightly on the flakes, and return the liquid to the pan.
- 6
Add the soy sauce and mirin, bring to a gentle simmer for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat.
- 7
Pour the sauce into a bowl set over a few of the ice cubes and some cold water to chill it quickly.
- 8
Bring the 2 litres of noodle water to a rolling boil in a large pot; do not salt it.
- 9
Add the soba, stir to separate, and cook for the time on the packet (usually 4-5 minutes) until just tender.
- 10
Drain the noodles and rinse them under cold running water, rubbing gently to remove the surface starch.
- 11
Plunge the noodles into a bowl of water with the remaining ice cubes for 1 minute, then drain well.
- 12
Arrange the noodles on bamboo trays or plates and scatter over the nori strips and sesame seeds if using.
- 13
Divide the chilled sauce into two small cups and serve with the scallions, wasabi and grated daikon on the side.
- 14
To eat, stir a little scallion and wasabi into the sauce, then dip a small amount of noodles before each bite.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- For a gluten-free version, use tamari labelled gluten-free instead of soy sauce and choose a mirin labelled gluten-free, keeping the 100% buckwheat noodles.
- To make it vegan, skip the bonito flakes and make the dashi with kombu plus a few dried shiitake mushrooms.
- For an easier shop, use instant dashi granules dissolved in water instead of homemade dashi, or replace the whole sauce with bottled mentsuyu concentrate diluted per the label (skip the soy sauce and mirin, as mentsuyu already contains them).
- If you can't find daikon, leave it out or use finely grated red radish for a similar fresh bite.
Storage
Zaru soba is best eaten fresh, as cooked noodles turn sticky and firm when chilled overnight; if needed, refrigerate leftover noodles within 2 hours and eat them within 1 day. The dipping sauce keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, but do not freeze the noodles.
Make ahead
Make the dipping sauce up to 3 days ahead and keep it chilled in the fridge, and slice the scallions and cut the nori a few hours before serving. Cook and rinse the noodles just before eating.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: GlutenSoyFishSesameMustard
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (1,517 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 388 kcal | 26 kcal |
| Protein | 16.9 g | 1.1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 76.2 g | 5 g |
| of which sugars | 11.2 g | 0.7 g |
| Fiber | 9.7 g | 0.6 g |
| Fat | 3.2 g | 0.2 g |
| of which saturated | 0.7 g | 0 g |
| Sodium | 891 mg | 59 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
