Refreshing Summer Delight: How to Make Cold Soba Noodles
Refreshing Summer Delight: How to Make Cold Soba Noodles
Whip Up Delicious Cold Soba Noodles Using Ingredients from Your Fridge
With the summer heat and bright sunshine instead of forecasted rain, it’s the perfect time for a refreshing bowl of cold soba! This recipe uses simple ingredients from your refrigerator to create a deliciously cooling noodle dish. The chewy buckwheat noodles and savory broth are sure to help you beat the heat.
Main Noodle Ingredients- 1 serving buckwheat noodles
- 1 Tbsp vinegar
- 10 ice cubes
Chilled Broth Ingredients- 6 Tbsp mentsuyu (soba dipping sauce)
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 150ml water
Optional Toppings- 1/2 scallion or green onion
- 1 Tbsp grated daikon radish
- 1/2 sheet roasted seaweed (nori)
- 5ml wasabi
- 5 ice cubes
- 1/8 cucumber
- 6 Tbsp mentsuyu (soba dipping sauce)
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 150ml water
Optional Toppings- 1/2 scallion or green onion
- 1 Tbsp grated daikon radish
- 1/2 sheet roasted seaweed (nori)
- 5ml wasabi
- 5 ice cubes
- 1/8 cucumber
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
In a freezer-safe container or bowl, accurately measure and add 6 tablespoons of mentsuyu. Mentsuyu forms the essential base flavor for your cold soba broth.
Step 2
Add 1 teaspoon of soy sauce to the mentsuyu in the bowl. Soy sauce enhances the savory depth of the mentsuyu.
Step 3
Pour in 150ml of water and stir well until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. This creates the base for your refreshing cold soba broth.
Step 4
Add 10 ice cubes to the prepared broth base to chill it immediately. Then, place the broth in the freezer to get it even colder.
Step 5
Start boiling a pot of water for cooking the noodles. At the same time, prepare your toppings. Finely chop the scallions or green onions into about 2mm thick pieces. Slice the cucumber into thin matchsticks, about 2mm thick. (Tip: Mentsuyu and scallions alone create a delicious flavor, so feel free to omit the cucumber.)
Step 6
Grate the daikon radish finely using a grater. The refreshing taste of the radish will add a clean finish to the broth.
Step 7
Seaweed can sometimes have a fishy taste if used raw. Heat a dry pan over medium heat, place the nori sheet on it, and lightly toast for about 5 seconds per side. This enhances its nutty aroma and removes any fishy notes.
Step 8
Cut the toasted seaweed into bite-sized pieces. Cutting them into approximately 2mm x 2cm strips will make them visually appealing and easy to eat as a topping.
Step 9
Once the water is boiling vigorously, add 1 serving of buckwheat noodles and cook for 4-5 minutes, or according to package instructions. Be careful not to overcook the soba noodles, as they can become mushy.
Step 10
If you lose track of time, here’s a helpful tip: When the noodles start boiling up with white foam, pour in about half a cup of cold water. When it boils up again, add another half cup of cold water. Repeat this process a total of three times. Turn off the heat when it boils up the last time, and the noodles will be perfectly cooked. This is sometimes called the ‘three cold water’ method for boiling noodles.
Step 11
Transfer the cooked soba noodles to cold water and gently rub them with both hands while rinsing. This removes excess starch, resulting in a chewier texture. Rinse thoroughly about 2-3 times.
Step 12
After rinsing, place the noodles in ice-cold water and gently rub them again with both hands. This further chills the noodles and completes the rinsing process. Discard the ice water and refill with fresh cold water.
Step 13
Finally, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to the water and rinse the noodles one last time. Vinegar helps to eliminate any ‘soba smell’ and adds a nice sheen to the noodles.
Step 14
Drain the rinsed noodles thoroughly in a sieve. Before serving, gently tap the bottom of the sieve with your palm about 5 times. This removes any remaining water droplets that might dilute the broth, ensuring a perfectly seasoned dish.
Step 15
Arrange the prepared noodles attractively in a deep serving bowl. Pour the chilled broth, taken from the freezer, over the noodles. Finally, garnish with your desired toppings such as chopped scallions, seaweed, grated radish, wasabi, and cucumber to complete your delicious cold soba noodle bowl.
Step 16
Behold, the taste of summer – cold soba noodles! The mentsuyu broth infused with scallion aroma is always a winner. Adding a generous dollop of wasabi for that sharp kick can make you feel like you’re blowing away all your stress. Enjoy your meal!
