📝 About This Recipe
Experience the soul of Japanese comfort with this elegant pairing of earthy, chilled buckwheat noodles and shatteringly crisp tempura. This dish, known as 'Ten-Soro', celebrates the contrast between the cold, savory dashi dipping sauce and the hot, airy crunch of flash-fried seafood and seasonal vegetables. It is a masterclass in texture and balance, bringing the refined atmosphere of a Tokyo noodle house directly to your dinner table.
🥗 Ingredients
The Soba
- 12 ounces Dried Soba Noodles (look for high buckwheat content)
Tsuyu (Dipping Sauce)
- 1.5 cups Dashi Stock (homemade or high-quality instant)
- 1/3 cup Soy Sauce (Japanese dark soy sauce)
- 1/3 cup Mirin (sweet rice wine)
- 1 tablespoon Sugar (granulated)
The Tempura
- 8-12 pieces Large Shrimp (peeled and deveined, tail on)
- 1 Sweet Potato (sliced into 1/4 inch rounds)
- 4 pieces Shiitake Mushrooms (stems removed)
- 1 cup Cake Flour (chilled in the freezer for 15 minutes)
- 1 Egg (large, cold)
- 1 cup Ice Water (must be very cold)
- 1 quart Neutral Oil (vegetable or canola for frying)
Garnish
- 2 inch piece Daikon Radish (finely grated)
- 2 Green Onions (finely sliced)
- 2 teaspoons Wasabi paste (for serving)
- 1 sheet Nori (shredded into thin strips)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Prepare the Tsuyu dipping sauce by combining dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stir to dissolve sugar, then remove from heat and let it cool completely. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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2
Prepare the shrimp by making 3-4 small shallow slits on the belly side. Press the shrimp down gently on the cutting board to 'snap' the fibers; this prevents them from curling when fried.
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3
Pat all vegetables and shrimp completely dry with paper towels. Lightly dust them with a thin layer of extra flour to help the batter adhere better.
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4
Heat the neutral oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or deep fryer to 340°F (170°C) for vegetables and 350°F (180°C) for shrimp.
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5
Make the batter just before frying: Beat the cold egg in a bowl, add ice water, and mix. Sift in the chilled cake flour. Using chopsticks, mix with a stabbing motion for only 10-15 seconds. Do not overmix; lumps are essential for a light, crispy texture.
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6
Dip the vegetables into the batter and fry in small batches for 2-3 minutes until the batter is pale gold and crisp. Drain on a wire rack.
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7
Dip the shrimp into the batter, holding by the tail, and carefully lay into the hot oil. Fry for 2 minutes until cooked through and crispy. Drain on the wire rack.
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8
Boil a large pot of water (do not add salt). Add the soba noodles and cook according to package instructions (usually 4-6 minutes). Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
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9
Immediately drain the noodles into a colander and rinse vigorously under cold running water. Rub the noodles between your hands to remove excess starch; this is crucial for the correct slippery texture.
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10
Shock the noodles in a bowl of ice water for 30 seconds to ensure they are perfectly chilled, then drain well.
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11
Divide the noodles into four mounds on bamboo mats (zaru) or plates. Top with shredded nori.
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12
Pour the chilled dipping sauce into four small individual bowls. Serve the hot tempura on a side plate with the grated daikon, wasabi, and scallions on the side.
💡 Chef's Tips
Use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour for the tempura batter; the lower protein content prevents gluten development, ensuring a lighter crunch. Never overmix the tempura batter; if you see small flour pockets, you've done it correctly. Keep the batter ingredients ice-cold; the temperature shock between the cold batter and hot oil creates the signature bubbly texture. Rinse your soba noodles thoroughly until the water runs clear; skipping this step results in gummy, sticky noodles. If you prefer a warm meal, you can serve the soba in a hot dashi broth instead of the cold dipping style.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Pair with a chilled Junmai Ginjo Sake to complement the earthy buckwheat and savory dashi. Serve with a side of Sunomono (Japanese cucumber salad) for a bright, acidic palate cleanser. A cup of hot buckwheat tea (Sobacha) at the end of the meal is traditional and aids digestion. Offer Shichimi Togarashi (seven-spice powder) on the side for those who enjoy a spicy kick in their dipping sauce.