Zaru Soba (Cold Buckwheat Noodles)
Photo: Michael Lee / Unsplash
Chilled buckwheat noodles served on a bamboo tray with a savoury dipping sauce, spring onions, wasabi and shredded nori. Japan's refreshing summer lunch, ready in 25 minutes.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Make the dipping sauce
In a small pan over medium heat, bring the , soy sauce and to a boil, then turn off the heat. Let it cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes before serving.
- 200 ml stock
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp
✅ Done when: sauce is fully cooled and cold
Cook the soba
Bring the unsalted water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add the , stir so they don't stick, and cook for 4–5 minutes, until tender but still a little firm when bitten; add a splash of cold water if the pot threatens to boil over.
- 2 L water
- 200 g dried noodles
✅ Done when: noodles are tender but still slightly firm to the bite
Rinse and chill
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Serve
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
How to eat
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Make the dipping sauce
In a small pan over medium heat, bring the , soy sauce and to a boil, then turn off the heat. Let it cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes before serving.
- 200 ml stock
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp
✅ Done when: sauce is fully cooled and cold
Cook the soba
Bring the unsalted water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add the , stir so they don't stick, and cook for 4–5 minutes, until tender but still a little firm when bitten; add a splash of cold water if the pot threatens to boil over.
- 2 L water
- 200 g dried noodles
✅ Done when: noodles are tender but still slightly firm to the bite
Rinse and chill
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Serve
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
How to eat
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
The Story Behind the Dish
Buckwheat grows in cold, poor mountain soils where rice struggles, and soba noodles became the fast food of Edo-era Tokyo, sold at thousands of noodle stalls. Serving them cold on a zaru, a bamboo draining tray, is the simplest way to taste the buckwheat's nutty flavour.
At the end of the meal, soba restaurants bring sobayu, the hot noodle cooking water, to pour into the leftover dipping sauce and drink as a soup.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Cool, light and clean-tasting, zaru soba is the perfect lunch on a hot, humid Japanese summer day.
💡 Fun Fact
Japanese people traditionally eat 'toshikoshi soba' on New Year's Eve; the long noodles symbolise a long life.
Edo (Tokyo)
35.68°N, 139.65°E
Related recipes
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!