Cold soba noodles is a light and refreshing dish perfect for enjoying on its own or as a side dish to tempura, broiled fish, or even fresh sushi! It is really easy to make and is perfect for enjoying on a hot day or if you just want a simple light tasty meal.
What you need
The Noodles
Soba noodles are sold in the dry noodle section in the your Asian or Japanese market. Packs of noodles usually have bundles of noodles wrapped together as show in the picture below, each bundle being one serving.
The Soba Sauce
For the soba sauce you will need:
- Water
- Dashi granules
- Japanese soy sauce
- Unsweetened rice vinegar
- Sugar
How To Make It
Make the Soba Sauce First
You will want to make the sauce ahead of time to allow it time to chill in the refrigerator before serving.
Combine the water, dashi granules, Japanese soy sauce, unsweetened rice vinegar, and sugar to a pot and whisk together. Heat over medium-high heat until it just starts to bubble.
Remove the pot from the heat and let the sauce cool down completely to room temperature. Transfer the sauce to a jar or bottle and refrigerator for at least 3 hours before serving.
The Noodles
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the dry soba noodles all at once (remember to remove the little paper wrapping the bundles!).
Reduce the heat so the water is just a rolling boil and cook the noodles about 2 minutes (or according to the package directions). Take a bite of a noodle test the doneness; do not overcook.
Drain the noodles and run them under cold water to stop the cooking process and to cool them down. To chill them down more, you can transfer the noodles to a bowl of iced water.
How To Serve Cold Soba Noodles
Portion out the soba noodles to a plate or bowl. If the noodles are stuck together, simply run them under cold water again to loosen them, drain, and then transfer them to your dishes.
Serve the soba noodle sauce in a dish on the side for dipping the noodles as you eat. Have the sauce in a small pitcher so it can be added to your noodles as you like. Or serve the soba noodles with the sauce already poured into the bowl.
If you'd like, top your noodles with any or all of chopped green onions, sesame seeds, grated daikon, wasabi, and dried seaweed strips.
More Noodle Recipes
Do you love noodles like I do? Here are more noodle recipes you might want to consider!
A bowl of cold soba noodles is a wonderful light refreshing meal on its own, but it also pairs well with savory dishes like tempura, Broiled Miso Salmon, Dry Rub Roast Pork Neck, or Okonomiyaki Bites. It also goes lovely with fresh sushi! No matter how you decide to enjoy it, you can't lose!
~ Lisa.
Cold Soba Noodles with Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
- Dry soba noodles (1 bundle per person)
Instructions
Cold Soba Sauce (start at least 3 hours before serving):
- Combine water, Japanese soy sauce, mirin, dashi granules, and sugar in a small pot over medium heat. Whisk or stir to dissolve the dashi granules and sugar.
- Once soba sauce is heated through and is steaming, remove from heat. Let cool completely before storing in a jar in the fridge to chill.
Noodles:
- Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat and add the dry soba noodles (make sure to remove the paper wrapping the noodle bundles). Reduce heat to medium and cook for 2 minutes (or according to package directions); be sure not to overcook.
- Drain noodles and run under cold water to stop them from cooking and to cool them down.
- Portion soba noodles into individual bowls and top with chopped green onions, grated daikon, seaweed strips, or sesame seeds, if desired.
- Add some soba sauce directly to the bowl of noodles or serve it in a dish on the side for dipping as you eat. You can also serve the soba sauce in a small pitcher for people to pour into their bowl as they want.
Notes
- One bundle of dry soba noodles is about one serving.
- Recipe makes about 2 ½ cups of soba sauce.
- Soba sauce will last about a month in a bottle in the fridge.
- If you are not using the noodles right away, you can put them in a bowl with cold water and ice cubes. Drain the noodles when ready to serve.
- If the drained noodles have dried out a bit and are stuck together, simply run them under cold water and drain them again before adding them to bowls.
- Top soba noodles with any or all of chopped green onions, grated daikon, sesame seeds, dried seaweed, or wasabi.
- Leftover cooked soba noodles can be stored in a container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
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