Chilled Zaru Soba with Dipping Tsuyu

Cold buckwheat noodles rinsed tight and served with a concentrated savoury dipping broth, spring onions, and wasabi.

Ingredients

• 200g dried buckwheat soba noodles
• 250ml cold water
• 1 dashi stock sachet (such as Itsu, or steep 20g dried shiitake mushrooms in the water)
• 4 tbsp light soy sauce
• 4 tbsp mirin
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 3 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 nori sheet, shredded into thin strips with scissors
• 1 tsp wasabi paste

Method

1. Combine the water, dashi (or dried mushrooms), soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in a small pan; bring to a simmer for 3 minutes, then strain and chill completely in the fridge to make the dipping tsuyu.
2. Boil the soba noodles according to the packet instructions (usually 4–5 minutes) until just tender.
3. Drain the noodles into a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running tap water, rubbing them gently with your hands to wash away the surface starch and firm up the texture.
4. Pile the cold noodles onto plates topped with the shredded nori, and serve with small bowls of the chilled dipping sauce alongside the spring onions and wasabi.