Japanese Cold Soba 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).

SPICY COLD SOBA NOODLES

Steps:

• Bring soy sauce to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced by half, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove soy sauce from the heat and stir in molasses.
• Whisk sesame oil, tahini, balsamic vinegar, and chili oil together in a medium mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in soy sauce mixture. Stir in 1/2 of the scallions.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add soba noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 3 minutes. Immediately drain and rinse thoroughly in cold water.
• Combine noodles and sauce. Sprinkle remaining scallions and sesame seeds over top and refrigerate until cold, at least 30 minutes.

COLD SOBA NOODLES (ZARU SOBA)

Steps:

• To prepare the dashi, or stock: Place the cold water in a saucepan. Using a damp cloth, wipe the kombu, removing any dirt. Place the kombu in the cold water, and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Remove the kombu immediately, and reserve for another use. Bring the water again to a boil, and remove from the heat. Add the bonito flakes and stir, and then let them settle to the bottom of the pan, about 1 minute. Strain the liquid through a fine-meshed strainer lined with cheesecloth. Discard the bonito flakes.
• To make the dipping sauce, combine 2 cups of the dashi with the soy sauce and mirin in a bowl. Chill. (For serving, you may divide it into six portions and chill.)
• To cook the noodles, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the noodles, scattering them over the surface. Once the water reaches a boil, cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until just tender. Put the noodles in a colander, and rinse under cold running water to remove the starch. Drain thoroughly, and divide among six baskets or bowls.
• Place the scallions and wasabi in the center of the table with the noodles. Each diner then mixes a dab of the wasabi and 1 tablespoon of the scallions in a portion of dipping sauce and, using chopsticks, dips noodles into the sauce.