What are soba noodles?
Buckwheat noodles, or soba, are a staple of Japanese cuisine. Soft with a slightly grainy texture, they can be enjoyed hot, cold, or at room temperature.
The dough combines wheat and buckwheat flours, and the noodles come in a wide range of thicknesses, both round and square.
Soba noodles are usually sold dried, but Japanese and Korean supermarkets often carry fresh soba in their refrigerated sections.
Use fresh noodles for the best texture
Like most fresh noodles, fresh soba offers a texture that dried noodles simply lack, though I also enjoy the springy, slightly ‘snappier’ feel of dried soba. Ultimately, it is a matter of preference.
Making the dipping sauce for soba
Because soba noodles have a distinctive, nutty flavor and texture, pair them with simple, ‘clean’ seasonings like soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, and dashi. For this recipe, forget deep-frying and high heat!
Because the broth for soba is so simple, use the best ingredients you can find: fresh, homemade dashi when possible (powdered dashi works in a pinch) and light Japanese soy sauce.
The classic dipping sauce for soba combines dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and a bit of sugar.
Possible additions for the dipping sauce
An assortment of toppings can also be added to the noodles: a dab of wasabi, freshly grated daikon, and finely sliced green onions.
Whatever you serve with soba, keep it simple so it does not overwhelm the noodles’ natural flavor. Dip, sip, and enjoy.
How to pair cold soba noodles
As mentioned, keep it simple. A small tuna or beef tataki, for instance.
Choose light proteins and small portions. Marinate the meat, then sear it very quickly. In my experience, people enjoy a small serving of caramel pork or beef with onions on the side. Or why not try some tasty yakitori chicken skewers to stay within Japanese cuisine?
Ingredients
Sauce
- 240 g dashi stock
- 120 g light soy sauce
- 120 g mirin
Noodles
- 2 servings pre-cooked and chilled soba noodles
- 2 sliced spring onion stalks
Procédé
- Simmer the sauce in a saucepan for 5-7 minutes, then chill it in an airtight jar.
- In a small bowl, pour in the sauce and the spring onions.
- Dip the noodles in and enjoy!
