Zaru Soba (Cold Soba with Dipping Sauce)

Ramen may get all the attention, but soba is the real star of Japanese cuisine—just kidding, I love them both equally.

Made from buckwheat, these noodles have a slightly nutty taste and can even come in different colors and flavors, like green tea! People began eating them during the Edo period, and how they're eaten depends on the season. During the winter, soba is usually served with a hot broth. In the summer, however, they're chilled and dipped into a cold, savory sauce.

For this recipe, I go back to the basics. Soba is boiled then cooled down in an ice bath, and the dipping sauce is made from mentsuyu (a Japanese soup base). You can buy mentsuyu from Asian grocery stores, or you can follow my recipe to make it at home! It can be made several days in advance, and—if you have any leftovers—you can store it in the fridge for any day you feel like eating soba. It's also a great dipping sauce for tempura!

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Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

Mentsuyu & Dipping Sauce:

• 2 tbsp sake

• 1/4 cup mirin

• 1/4 cup soy sauce

• 1” square kombu

• 1/3 cup bonito flakes

• 1 1/2 cups cold water

• Sliced scallions

Noodles:

• 150 to 200 g (about 5.3 to 7 oz) dried soba noodles, depending on how much you want to eat

Toppings (Optional):

• Shredded nori

Instructions

Make the Mentsuyu:

• In a small saucepan, add the sake, mirin, soy sauce, kombu, and bonito flakes. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.

• Strain the mixture into a separate container, discard the kombu and bonito flakes, and let cool. You can refrigerate this once cooled.

Cook the Noodles & Serve:

• Prepare a large bowl with iced water. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the dried soba noodles. Cook according to the package directions.

• Once done cooking, transfer the noodles immediately to the bowl of iced water. When the noodles have cooled, drain the water and serve the noodles on a plate or bamboo mat.

• In a small bowl, combine the mentsuyu with the cold water. If you don't want to use all the mentsuyu, use a 1:3 ratio (1 part mentsuyu to 3 parts cold water) to make however much sauce you'd like. Add in sliced scallions.

• Top the noodles with shredded nori and dip into the sauce to enjoy!