📝 About This Recipe
Zaru Soba is the quintessential Japanese summer dish, featuring nutty buckwheat noodles served chilled on a bamboo tray (zaru). This elegant meal celebrates simplicity, relying on the contrast between the earthy noodles and a deeply savory, umami-rich 'Mentsuyu' dipping sauce. Perfect for hot days, it offers a refreshing, clean flavor profile that is both healthy and deeply satisfying.
🥗 Ingredients
The Noodles
- 200 grams Dried Soba Noodles (look for high buckwheat content, at least 30-80%)
Homemade Mentsuyu (Dipping Sauce)
- 1 cup Dashi Stock (kombu and bonito based for best flavor)
- 1/4 cup Mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
- 1/4 cup Soy Sauce (use high-quality Japanese dark soy sauce)
- 1/2 teaspoon Granulated Sugar (to balance the saltiness)
Essential Garnishes
- 2 stalks Green Onions (very thinly sliced)
- 1 teaspoon Wasabi Paste (freshly grated or high-quality paste)
- 1/4 cup Kizami Nori (shredded dried seaweed)
- 1 teaspoon Toasted White Sesame Seeds (optional for extra nuttiness)
- 2 inch piece Daikon Radish (grated and lightly squeezed of excess moisture)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Begin by making the Mentsuyu. In a small saucepan, combine the mirin and bring it to a gentle boil over medium heat for 1 minute to cook off the alcohol.
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2
Add the soy sauce, dashi stock, and sugar to the saucepan. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
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3
Once the sauce reaches a simmer, remove from heat immediately. Pour into a glass bowl and let it cool, then refrigerate until chilled. This can be done a day in advance.
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4
Prepare your garnishes while the sauce chills. Slice the green onions into paper-thin rounds and grate the daikon radish, placing them on a small decorative plate.
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5
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Do not add salt to the water, as soba noodles often contain salt and the dipping sauce is flavorful enough.
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6
Add the soba noodles to the boiling water, spreading them out to prevent sticking. Stir gently with chopsticks.
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7
Follow the package instructions for cooking time (usually 4-6 minutes). If the water threatens to boil over, add a splash of cold water (called 'Bikkuri-mizu') to settle it.
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8
Test a noodle for doneness; it should be 'al dente'—firm to the bite but without a hard core.
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9
Immediately drain the noodles into a colander. This is the most important part: rinse the noodles under cold running water, rubbing them vigorously with your hands to remove the excess starch.
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10
Submerge the noodles in a bowl of ice water for 30 seconds to ensure they are completely chilled and have a snappy texture.
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11
Drain thoroughly. Shaking the colander well is essential so the excess water doesn't dilute your dipping sauce.
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12
Arrange the noodles on a bamboo 'zaru' tray or a flat plate. Sprinkle the shredded nori (kizami nori) over the top of the noodles.
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13
Pour the chilled Mentsuyu into individual small dipping cups (soba choko).
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14
Serve the noodles alongside the dipping cups and the plate of garnishes, allowing guests to mix the wasabi, onions, and radish into their sauce to their liking.
💡 Chef's Tips
Vigorously washing the cooked noodles in cold water is the secret to a clean, non-slimy texture. Save the 'Soba-yu' (the starchy cooking water) to pour into your leftover dipping sauce at the end of the meal for a warm, nutritious soup. Check the ingredients of your soba; 'Ju-割' (Jyu-wari) is 100% buckwheat and gluten-free but more fragile to cook. If you are short on time, you can use store-bought concentrated Mentsuyu, just dilute it according to the bottle instructions. Always use a large pot of water; soba needs plenty of room to move so it cooks evenly without clumping.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve with a side of light, crispy Vegetable or Shrimp Tempura for a classic 'Ten-Zaru' experience. Pair with a chilled glass of dry Sake or a refreshing glass of cold Mugicha (barley tea). Add a side of Inari Sushi (sweet tofu skin pockets filled with rice) for a more filling meal. A small side of Japanese pickles (Tsukemono) provides a nice acidic crunch between bites.