This cold zaru soba is a light, healthy, and refreshing Japanese dish that only requires a handful of ingredients and is packed with flavor, which is perfect for a hot summer day. This 10-minute cold soba noodle recipe is really quick and easy to make. All you will need to do is cook the soba noodles, simmer the soba dipping sauce, and enjoy! It is that simple.

Ingredients

You can find all of the ingredients for this soba recipe at your local Asian or Japanese grocery market. Full measurements and links to the ingredients I used are listed in the recipe card below.

• Soba Noodles: are buckwheat noodles that are sold pre-portioned. They cook rather quickly. Make sure to soak them in ice water to firm the noodles for a more chewy texture.
• Dashi: is the base of the dipping sauce. You can easily prepare it with instant dashi powder and water.
• Soy Sauce: adds a salty umami flavor.
• Mirin: or sweet rice cooking wine adds a sweet tangy flavor.
• Sake: or Japanese rice wine adds another complex layer of sweetness.

Garnishes

• Green Onion: chopped green onion adds a fresh aromatic flavor to the sauce.
• Sesame Seeds: add a nice nutty finish.
• Daikon Radish: finely grate daikon radish and then squeeze out any excess moisture with your hand to create a nice little ball.
• Wasabi: freshly grated or premade wasabi paste will work nicely as well.
• Shredded Nori: you can buy pre-shredded nori or cut a seaweed sheet by hand. The shredded nori typically garnishes the soba noodles.

Substitutions and Additions

Substitutions

• Homemade dashi broth: you can alternatively make your dashi broth from scratch with kombu (kelp) and katsuobushi (bonito flakes).
• Tamari: for a gluten-free zaru soba, use tamari instead of soy sauce.
• Sugar: instead of sake, use granulated sugar to add a touch of sweetness.

Additions

• Togarashi: for added spice, sprinkle some togarashi into your sauce.
• Pickles: pickled ginger or umeboshi (pickled plum) can add a tangy contrast
• Tempura: serve a side of vegetable or shrimp tempura for a well-balanced meal.

How to Make Zaru Soba

1. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sake and mix to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and place in the refrigerator to cool.

2. In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil and cook the soba noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse the noodles under cold water. Soak the noodles in an ice bath for 1 minute and drain. Transfer to a plate and garnish with roasted seaweed.

3. Serve the soba noodles on a plate and 1/2 cup of the dipping sauce in a small bowl, and garnish with your preferred garnishes. Dip your noodles into the dipping sauce and enjoy!

Storage Instructions

Store the soba dipping sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. I recommend not cooking the cold soba noodles until you are ready to serve for the best texture.

FAQs

How do I eat zaru soba?

Zaru soba is typically served with a small bowl of the soba dipping sauce, a plate of cold soba noodles, with a variety of toppings such as green onion, wasabi, grated daikon, sesame seeds, or grated ginger. You can dress your sauce with any of the toppings to taste. Then pick up some noodles, dip them into the sauce briefly, and then enjoy! Avoid soaking the cold soba noodles for too long because the sauce can be salty.

What do I eat with zaru soba?

You can eat the zaru soba on its own or serve it with a side of ramen eggs (ajitama) or tempura and tempura sauce for a well-balanced meal.

Are soba noodles healthy?

Yes, soba noodles are made with gluten-free buckwheat flour and water, which has been shown to benefit blood sugar, heart health, and inflammation. Buckwheat is a nutritious grain-like seed that is unrelated to wheat.

Zaru Soba Recipe