Zaru Soba is a simple cold noodle dish made using buckwheat noodles and an umami packed dipping sauce. The buckwheat noodles have a unique texture with a good bite with a slight bounce. Everything comes together in 10 minutes making it ideal for a quick lunch or light dinner.
I didn’t manage to visit Japan too often throughout my childhood but when I did, it was always during Summer where the heat and humidity is no joke. You need to use all the tools in the toolbox – electric fan, cooling clothes, and icy cold noodles.
On those hot summery days my Obachan would prepare a mountain of soba noodles and give everyone a bowl of mentsuyu with ice cubes and green onions to cool us all down. Ah, good memories…
If you’re looking for more summery recipes you might like my Agedashi Tofu Salad or Miso and Peach Chicken Salad.
What is Zaru Soba?
Zaru Soba is a cold buckwheat noodle dish. It’s typically eaten in summer since it requires minimal cooking and cools you down quickly. The buckwheat noodles are chewy and bouncy, and the dipping sauce is salty and savoury.
The cold soba noodles are typically served on a bamboo matt to allow excess water to run off. If you don’t have one try use a sushi bamboo rolling matt, or leave it in the colander when serving.
How to Make Soba Noodle Sauce
The savoury dipping sauce is called Mentsuyu – a noodle soup base found in many dishes in Japan. It’s made using sake, soy sauce, mirin, kombu (dried kelp) and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes).
I’m still working on my homemade Mentsuyu, I will update this page when I perfect it! Asian supermarkets or online stores stock mentsuyu, this is the one I use.
Tips on How to Make Good Soba Noodles
- Cook according to the package instructions. Every brand will have different cook times so check what the manufacturers recommend. I always check the doneness about halfway through, and so on until it’s done.
- Boil plenty of water. Use plenty of water since the soba will release a lot of starch. This will help the noodles cook more evenly.
- Keep mixing the soba. Once you’ve added the soba to the pot, keep mixing to prevent them from sticking together.
- Cold plunge the noodles. Prepare a bowl of ice cold water to shock the noodles in for about 20-30 seconds. This will enhance the noodles bouncy texture.
Zaru Soba
Equipment
- bamboo matt (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 bunches of soba noodles
- 6 tbsp mentsuyu
- 1 spring onion (finely sliced – optional)
- shichimi (Japanese seven spice – optional)
Instructions
- Cook the soba noodles using the package recommendations. Test frequently to make sure they don't overcook.
- Prepare a bowl of cold water with ice to shock the noodles after cooking. This is optional but recommended for best noodle texture.
- Drain and rinse the soba once it has finished cooking, then add to the ice bath for 20-30 seconds.
- Drain the noodles well and serve on a bamboo matt. If you don't have one just use a colander, or plate.
- Add 3 tbsp of mentsuyu per bowl, along with 3 tbsp of water. The strength of this is down to personal preference, so adjust to your liking. It should taste quite strong.
- Add in optional garnish to the dipping sauce. Serve and enjoy!
