Indulge in this flavorful Zaru Soba, a Japanese cold soba noodles dish that takes only 15 minutes to make! Great for lunch or dinner.
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The dishes that we gravitate towards to cool us down during the summer can often be more on the sweet variety. Like this refreshing Creamy Fruit Mocktail (Non-Alcoholic Fruit Cocktail), or the delicious Mango Sago Dessert Pudding.
But there’s also plenty of savory choices that are a perfect fit for summer! And this zaru soba is definitely one of them. A noodle dish that’s so easy to make, it takes you only 15 minutes from start to finish!
Have it for a quick lunch or an easy weeknight meal.
What Is Zaru Soba?
Zaru soba is a Japanese chilled soba noodles dish. You essentially pair soba noodles, which are made from buckwheat flour, with a flavorful dipping sauce called Tsuyu. The Tsuyu sauce normally requires ingredients such as dashi granules, light soy sauce, mirin, and sake.
You can opt to keep it simple with just the noodles and sauce as the meal. But common garnishes for the dish include grated daikon radish, grated ginger, and sesame seeds. It’s also great to pair the noodles with some tempura!
The soba noodles are normally portioned in individual plates, with a side of sauce that’s served in individual bowls or cups. Pick up a bit of the noodles before dipping into the Tsuyu sauce briefly (because if it’s too long it can be too salty!), then help yourself to the mouthwatering bite.
Zaru Soba Without Mirin or Sake
For this zaru soba recipe, however, we won’t be using any mirin or sake in the Tsuyu dipping sauce. Instead, we’re just keeping it basic with dashi granules, light soy sauce, sugar, and water.
Ingredients You’ll Need
(For full ingredient measurements, please proceed to the recipe card below.)
- Soba noodles
- Shredded roasted seaweed
- Green onions
- Wasabi (optional)
Tsuyu Sauce
- Water
- Dashi granules
- Light soy sauce
- Sugar
how to make zaru soba (cold soba noodles) without using mirin or sake
Tsuyu Sauce
- In a pot, add all the ingredients listed for the tsuyu sauce. Bring to a boil and let it cook for 2 minutes over medium heat– stirring occasionally. Turn off heat and let it cool or transfer to a jar and keep it in the fridge or cool in an ice bath.
- When it’s ready to be served, pour in individual bowls and if you want, add ice to the bowl to keep it cool. Serve with diced green onions and optional but highly recommend, a bit of wasabi.
Soba Noodles
- Bring water to a boil and add the soba noodles. Cook per package instructions.
- Once the noodles are cooked, drain and rinse under cold water thoroughly to get rid of the excess starch and until it’s cool to touch.
- Transfer to a plate and separate it by individual serving size to serve. Garnish with shredded roasted seaweed on top.
Notes for Zaru Soba (Cold Soba Noodles) Recipe
- This is a basic version of the meal. If you want, it’s most common to serve with grated daikon radish and a variety of vegetables. You can serve with shrimp tempura too.
- To store the tsuyu sauce, transfer to a clean airtight jar and keep it in the fridge.
- This is a simple non-alcoholic (mirin and sake free) version. If you are adding either or both, adjust accordingly.
More Japanese Recipes
- Japanese Garlic Fried Rice (15 Minutes)
- Karaage Don (Japanese Fried Chicken Rice Bowl) | Without Mirin or Sake
- Gyudon (Japanese Beef Rice Bowl) – No Mirin or Sake
- Easy Onsen Tamago (Japanese Hot Spring Egg)
- Spicy Tuna Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls)
- Easy Miso Soup (15 minutes)
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Zaru Soba (Cold Soba Noodles) | Without Mirin Or Sake
Ingredients
- 2 servings soba noodles
- shredded roasted seaweed
- diced green onions
- wasabi optional
Tsuyu Sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp dashi granules
- 1/4 cup light soy sauce
- 3 tbsp sugar
Instructions
Tsuyu Sauce
- In a pot, add all the ingredients listed for the tsuyu sauce. Bring to a boil and let it cook for 2 minutes over medium heat– stirring occasionally. Turn off heat and let it cool or transfer to a jar and keep it in the fridge or cool in an ice bath.
- When it's ready to be served, pour in individual bowls and if you want, add ice to the bowl to keep it cool. Serve with diced green onions and optional but highly recommend, a bit of wasabi.
Soba Noodles
- Bring water to a boil and add the soba noodles. Cook per package instructions.
- Once the noodles are cooked, drain and rinse under cold water thoroughly to get rid of the excess starch and until it's cool to touch.
- Transfer to a plate and separate it by individual serving size to serve. Garnish with shredded roasted seaweed on top.
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