Zaru Soba (Cold Buckwheat Noodles with Dipping Sauce)
Local name: ざるそば
In short: Chilled buckwheat noodles served on a tray with a savory dashi dipping sauce, spring onion, wasabi and shredded nori, a refreshing summer lunch. It takes about 25 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Resting
- 1 h
- Total
- 25 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 330 kcal
On a hot day, nothing is simpler than zaru soba: cold buckwheat noodles piled on a bamboo tray and dipped in a cool soy-dashi sauce. It is a classic summer lunch, and soba is also the food of toshikoshi soba on New Year's Eve, when people eat long noodles for a long life. The noodles must be rinsed well after boiling and cooled in ice water so they turn firm and glossy. Wasabi and spring onion go into the sauce to taste, and nori is scattered over the noodles.
Instructions
- Make the sauce: boil the mirin in a small pan for 30 seconds to cook off the alcohol. Add the soy sauce and dashi, bring just to a boil, then cool and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Prepare the spring onions, wasabi and nori in small dishes. Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
- Boil at least 2 liters (8 cups) of unsalted water in a large pot. Add the soba and stir gently to separate the noodles. Cook for the time on the package, usually 4 to 6 minutes.
- Drain the noodles and rinse them under cold running water, rubbing gently with your hands to wash off the surface starch. Plunge them into the ice water for 30 seconds, then drain thoroughly.
- Divide the noodles among 4 plates or bamboo trays and scatter the nori on top.
- Pour the chilled sauce into 4 small cups. Add wasabi and spring onions to taste, dip a few noodles at a time and eat right away.
Tips
- Keep the cooking water. Stir a little into the leftover dipping sauce and drink it as soba-yu, a warming broth full of buckwheat flavor.
- Fresh soba cooks in 1 to 2 minutes, so watch it closely. Most dried soba contains some wheat. Check the label if you need a gluten-free noodle made from 100 percent buckwheat.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between zaru soba and mori soba?
They are the same cold noodles with dipping sauce. Zaru soba is traditionally topped with shredded nori, while mori soba is served plain.
Can I make the dipping sauce ahead?
Yes. The sauce keeps in a jar in the fridge for up to 5 days. It is also good diluted as a base for hot noodle soup.
Why must the noodles be rinsed?
Rinsing washes off the starch that makes soba sticky and slimy, and the cold water stops cooking so the noodles stay firm and a little chewy.
How long does it take to make Zaru Soba (Cold Buckwheat Noodles with Dipping Sauce)?
About 25 min in total: 15 min of preparation and 10 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Zaru Soba (Cold Buckwheat Noodles with Dipping Sauce)?
About 330 kcal per serving, with 13 g of protein, 66 g of carbohydrates and 2 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 330 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 13 g |
| Carbohydrates | 66 g |
| Fat | 2 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 6 g |
| Sodium | 800 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
