Japanese Cold Noodles Recipes

COLD SOBA NOODLES WITH DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and salt it. Cook noodles until tender but not mushy. Drain, and quickly rinse under cold running water until cold. Drain well.
• Combine dashi or stock, soy sauce and mirin. Taste, and add a little more soy if the flavor is not strong enough. Serve noodles with garnishes, with sauce on side for dipping (or spooning over).

JAPANESE SOBA NOODLE SALAD

Steps:

• Bring lightly salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add soba noodles; cook, stirring occasionally until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir ginger and garlic until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Mix ginger, garlic, miso paste, lime juice, and mirin together in a small bowl. Pour salad dressing mixture over soba noodles. Top with green onions, sesame seeds, and cilantro. Chill until serving.

COLD THIN NOODLES IN CHILLED WATER (HIYASHI SōMEN)

Steps:

• Add all the Dipping Sauce ingredients to a small saucepan and bring it to a boil.
• Remove from the heat and cool it down quickly by leaving the pan in the cold water for a while, then place it in the fridge to chill.
• Boil water in a large saucepan. Remove the tape around each bunch of sōmen noodles and place the noodles in the boiling water by spreading the strands.
• Using chopsticks or a thin wooden spatula, stir the pot so that noodles are separated.
• Boil for about 2 minutes (note 3). Drain using a sieve and rinse well.
• Place noodles in a serving bowl, add chilled water (or water + ice cubes), just enough to cover the noodles.
• Using chopsticks or tongs with soft edges, take a small number of noodles at a time and gently lay them in the same direction so that the noodles line up nicely (optional).
• Decorate the noodle bowl with leaves or cucumber slices, if using. Serve with dipping sauce and condiments.

JAPANESE COLD SOMEN NOODLES

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Prepare the toppings and place in separate serving bowls. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil.
• Meanwhile, add the mirin to a medium saucepan over low heat and cook until just heated through, about 30 seconds.
• Raise the heat to high, add the soy sauce and dashi soup stock . Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat and cool completely, at least 20 minutes. Refrigerate if not using right away.
• Meanwhile, make the somen noodles. Add the dried somen noodles to the large pot of boiling water, gently stirring until the noodles are al dente, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
• Drain the somen in a colander and cool under running water or in an ice bath.
• Continue to wash the noodles, tossing with your hands until completely cold. Drain well.
• Serve the drained cold somen in a large serving bowl or divided between individual bowls with the dipping sauces in individual small bowls and toppings on the side.

JAPANESE COLD NOODLES (HIYASHI CHUKA)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Add sugar to beaten egg and mix well.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and pour about one-quarter of the egg mixture in the skillet. Spread egg thinly and fry until done. Repeat, making a total of four thin, round omelets, like crepes .
• Slice omelets into thin strips.
• Boil water in a large pot and add chukamen noodles. Boil, following the package instructions. Drain and cool noodles in cold water. Drain well.
• Combine all dressing ingredients together and stir well.
• Put chilled noodles onto individual plates. Arrange cucumber, ham, and egg strips on the noodles.
• Garnish with beni shoga. Pour dressing over noodles just before serving. Sprinkle with nori and sesame seeds.

JAPANESE COLD NOODLES

Steps:

• Make dipping sauce:
• Heat all dipping sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Cool sauce, then chill, covered, until cold, about 1 hour.
• Cook somen:
• Bring 2 1/2 quarts water to a rolling boil in a 4-quart saucepan over moderately high heat. Add noodles and 1 cup more water. When water returns to a boil, add 1 cup cold water and bring back to a boil. Simmer noodles until just tender and slightly translucent, about 2 minutes. Test noodles for doneness by dipping 1 strand in cold water and sampling. If noodles are not tender, add 1 cup more water and return water to a boil. Drain noodles in a colander and rinse well under cold water.
• To serve somen:
• Divide noodles among 6 bowls filled with ice and cold water. Divide dipping sauce among 6 small bowls and serve with accompaniments for flavoring it, then dip each mouthful of noodles in sauce.

THE BEST SESAME SOBA NOODLES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the soba noodles for 4-5 minutes or just until tender, stirring occasionally so the noodles don't clump. Drain in a colander and rinse well under cold water, tossing to remove the starch.
• While the noodles are cooking, in a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar, and black pepper. Set aside.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the canola oil and heat until shimmering then add the chopped green onions. Cook, stirring, for 15 to 30 seconds or until fragrant.
• Add the soy and sesame mixture and cook for 30 seconds, Add the noodles and toss until the noodles are heated through. Add the remaining minced green onion and half of the sesame seeds. Garnish with the remaining seeds and serve warm or at room temperature.

ZARU SOBA (CHILLED SOBA NOODLES)

Steps:

• To make the dipping sauce, add the dashi, soy sauce, sake and sugar to a saucepan, and bring the mixture to a boil. Continue boiling for 1 minute to vaporize the alcohol in the sake and soy sauce. Set this aside to cool.
• To boil the soba noodles, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the soba noodles and stir for about a minute to ensure the noodles don't stick together. Continue boiling the noodles for the amount of time specified on the package.
• Transfer the noodles to a strainer using chopsticks or tongs (leaving the boiling liquid in the pot).
• Wash the soba under cold running water to cool it to room temperature while removing any excess starch on the noodles' surface.
• Transfer the soba to a bowl of ice water and let the noodles chill for a moment.
• Serve the noodles by scooping small amounts of soba out of the ice water and bundling them up into small mounds on a zaru or large flat basket.
• Serve immediately with the dipping sauce and condiments.
• Once you've finished eating the cold soba, reheat the boiling liquid and serve it in a teapot to add to the remaining dipping sauce to make a broth.