Zaru Soba
Light, refreshing noodle dish, perfect for a hot summer's day. Possibly one of the easiest dishes of all time, especially if you already have the dipping sauce prepared and pre-chilled (then it's literally just boiling and rinsing some noodles). Ideally, find soba noodles that have a bit of chew to them once fully cooked; this will give you the best texture. The individual components are great, but what elevates this dish to another level are the green onions and sesame seeds. They provide a perfect contrast (primarily textural) that really bring together the dish.
Active Time: 25 min
Total Time: 25 min
Ingredients
> soba noodles (12 oz, dried)
> dashi (1/2 cup)
> soy sauce (2 tbsp)
> mirin (2 tbsp)
> sugar (0.5 tbsp)
> nori, shredded
> green onion, thinly sliced
> sesame seeds
Instructions
1. Make the dipping sauce. In a small saucepan, combine dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Heat up until the sugar and dashi are fully dissolved, stirring frequently. Separate into two individual bowls and let cool, placing it in the fridge if necessary. Reserve until ready to use.
2. In a pot of boiling water, cook the soba noodles until done. Drain, thoroughly rinse with cold water until cool, and remove any excess water. Serve in a large plate (possibly portioning into several individual mounds), and top with shredded nori, green onion, and sesame seeds.
3. Add remaining green onions and some sesame seeds to dipping sauce. To enjoy, take a bit of noodle, dip it in the sauce, and eat.
Notes/Tips:
> These ingredient amounts should be sufficient for two people. For more, simply scale it up accordingly.
> Try to find small bowls for the dipping sauce -- it wastes less sauce and makes for a more pleasant eating experience.
> Dried dashi (e.g. hondashi) works great for this -- simply follow the instructions on the packet. For 1/2 cup dashi, 1/3 tsp of dashi powder is about right.