Zaru Soba

Buckwheat noodles with a firm, elastic texture, chilled to the core for a perfect bite. They are dipped in a dark, potent broth where dashi and soy sauce are precisely balanced.

• Prep time: 15 min
• Cook time: 10 min
• Difficulty: Easy
• Calories: 525
• Protein: 21 g
• Carbs: 109 g
• Fat: 2 g

Ingredients

• 500 g soba noodles ( dry )
• 400 ml dashi stock ( liquid )
• 100 ml soy sauce
• 100 ml mirin
• 2 tbsp White sugar
• 4 piece Spring onion, sauté/poêlé sans matière grasse ( finely sliced )
• 2 piece nori seaweed ( in thin strips )
• 2 tsp wasabi optional ( paste )

Instructions

1. Preparing the Tsuyu

   In a small saucepan, combine dashi broth, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool completely, ideally in the refrigerator.

2. Cooking the noodles

   Drop the soba noodles into a large volume of boiling unsalted water. Cook according to the package directions (about 5 minutes) until tender but still having a slight bite.

3. Thermal shock and rinsing

   Drain the noodles and immediately plunge them into a large bowl of ice water. Rub them vigorously between your hands to remove surface starch. This step is crucial for a clean, non-sticky texture.

4. Preparing condiments

   Finely slice the scallions. Cut the nori seaweed into thin strips using scissors. Prepare a small dollop of wasabi.

5. Plating

   Arrange the noodles on a bamboo tray or a flat plate. Sprinkle with nori. Pour the cold sauce into individual bowls and serve the scallions and wasabi on the side.

Chef's tips

• Rinsing in ice water is the most important step: you must literally 'wash' the noodles to remove the gummy starch.
• Do not throw away the soba cooking water (Soba-yu). Serve it hot at the end of the meal to mix with the remaining sauce and drink as a broth.

Storage

The tsuyu sauce keeps for 1 week in the fridge. Noodles must be consumed immediately after cooking.