Cold Soba with Dipping Sauce (Zaru Soba)

Chilled buckwheat noodles with a refreshing tsuyu dipping sauce. Summer essential in Japan.

Ingredients

• 12 oz dry soba noodles
• Tsuyu dipping sauce: 2 cups dashi, 1/3 cup soy sauce, 3 tbsp mirin — simmer 5 min then cool
• Toppings: nori strips, wasabi, grated daikon radish, green onions, sesame seeds

Directions

1. Cook soba noodles per package (usually 4-5 min). Do not overcook.
2. Rinse very thoroughly under cold running water, then in a bowl of ice water — remove all starch.
3. Drain and place in small nests on a bamboo tray or plate lined with a bamboo mat.
4. Make tsuyu sauce: combine dashi, soy, and mirin. Simmer 5 minutes. Cool in the fridge.
5. Serve cold soba with individual bowls of tsuyu sauce. Dip noodles briefly before eating.
6. Add wasabi and onion to the tsuyu as desired.

Notes

Rinsing soba thoroughly is essential — this is what gives them their characteristic firm, nutty texture. Soba is made from buckwheat which has a low glycemic index and significant protein.