Zaru Soba (Japanese Cold Noodles)

Zaru Soba (笊蕎麦) is Japanese chilled buckwheat noodles (soba) served with a soy-based dipping sauce. They are usually served in a basket or a bamboo mat (zaru). The chilled noodles are refreshing and perfect for summer. They go well with any side dishes or finger foods.

More Soba Recipes:

Chilling Soba Noodles

I love to cook cold noodles at home on busy days because both the sauce and noodles can be prepared in minutes and in advance. This is a truly fuss-free and healthy (oil-free) dish. Many people buy instant soba dipping sauce from the supermarkets and there is nothing wrong with them. In fact they are a great convenience (just need to dilute the concentrated sauce with water). But if you want to make your own sauce, the good news is that it’s super easy. If you are already cooking Japanese food, you probably already own all the ingredients for the dipping sauce in your pantry. So you no longer need a bottle of sauce hoarding the fridge for every special dish, just make this soba sauce using existing ingredients every time you wish to make this cold noodles.

Zaru Soba

Zaru Soba Recipe

Besides regular soba, you can use other Japanese noodles such as cha soba (green tea buckwheat noodles) and somen (thin wheat noodles).

Ingredients:

  • 2 servings (about 150 grams) of soba (buckwheat noodles) may substitute with chasoba or somen
  • 8 ice cubes
  • 2 small handfuls of shredded nori (roasted seaweed)
  • 1 tbsp chopped spring onions
  • 2 raw quail eggs optional
  • 2 thumb-sized wasabi

Soba Sauce (A)

  • 300 ml water
  • 2 tbsp Japanese soy or light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp mirin
  • 1/2 tsp dashi powder

Directions:

  1. In a pot of boiling water, cooked soba according to timing indicated in package. Drain cooked noodles, rinse in cold running water and transfer to a bowl with ice cubes. Secure bowl with cling wrap and chill in fridge.
  2. In a small pot, bring Sauce (A) to a simmer for 1 minute. When the dipping sauce is cooled, transfer to a bottle with lid and chill in fridge.
  3. When ready to serve, divide and serve chilled noodles (topped with nori) and dipping sauce into two portions. Serve each portion with a saucer of chopped spring onions, quail egg and wasabi at the side.

Noob Cook Tips:

  1. If you prefer pre-made sauce, you can buy instant soba sauce or all-in-one soup base (can be used for tempura, vegetable stew and soup broth). Dilute sauce with appropriate amount of water as indicated on the package instructions.
  2. Use a recycled jam bottle for chilling the dipping sauce in the refrigerator.