Easy Cold Soba Noodles (Zaru Soba) in 15 Minutes (VIDEO)

Ingredients for Cold Soba Noodles

Zaru Soba or Cold Soba Noodles with Tsuyu (Dipping Sauce) only needs a few ingredients – which makes it the perfect quick and easy summer meal!

Ingredients

• Water
• Dashi Powder – I used dashi powder, which I buy from my local Japanese market (Mitsuwa) to make dashi stock.
• Light Soy Sauce – This is “light” or “all-purpose” soy sauce – do not use “dark” soy sauce, as it is too thick and sweet for this recipe.
• Mirin – This is a sweet cooking wine that is used frequently in Korean and Japanese cooking. It provides a great balance to the soy sauce in this recipe.
  • If you don’t have mirin, you can substitute with rice vinegar but add 1 tsp of sugar, as rice vinegar does not have the sweetness of mirin.
  • You can also substitute with 1/4 cup water + 1 tbsp honey mixed in
• Sugar
• Soba (Buckwheat Noodles) – see below
• Sesame seeds – optional garnish
• Chopped scallions – optional garnish
• Grated radish – optional garnish
• Grated fresh wasabi – optional garnish

What is Dashi Powder?

Dashi is Japanese soup stock that is used in many Japanese dishes. It has a unique, rich, umami-packed savory flavor. It is commonly made from dried kelp (kombu) and dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi).

You can make dashi in many different ways:

• from scratch with kombu and katsuobushi
• with a dashi packet
• with dashi powder

You can also purchase liquid dashi (stock)

For this recipe, I used dashi powder. If you do not have dashi powder in your pantry, I would recommend purchasing it. Dashi powder has a long shelf life and is extremely convenient to use because it only needs to be mixed with water. It’s used in a lot of Japanese dishes, so it’s a great item to have in your pantry!

If you use liquid dashi, be sure to use the same measurements as the recipe calls for water and omit the dashi powder.

Cold Soba Noodles: Recipe Instructions

1. Make your Tsuyu (Dipping Sauce)

Take a small saucepan and mix together water, dashi powder (or dashi liquid), light soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Turn the heat to high and mix the ingredients until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce comes to a boil.

Once the sauce is boiling, turn the heat off and let it cool. Tsuyu is meant to be eaten cold, so if you are planning on eating immediately, place the sauce in an airtight container and in an ice bath.

Otherwise, place your tsuyu (dipping sauce) in the refrigerator.

2. Cook your Soba Noodles

In a second pot, cook your soba noodles according to package directions.

Once cooked, drain the noodles and then immediately rinse under cold water to remove any excess starch and stop them from cooking.

Storage

The Tsuyu (dipping sauce) can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Cooked noodles can need in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2-3 days but I do not recommend this, as the noodles will stick together.

What to Serve with Cold Soba Noodles (Zaru Soba)

Other Japanese dishes would go well with Cold Soba Noodles – try my Ramen Eggs, for a high protein, easy snack! You can also serve these noodles alongside a heartier main dish, like Chicken Katsu (don’t forget the homemade Tonkatsu Sauce), Chicken Karaage (or lighten things up with Air Fryer Chicken Karaage), or my delicious one-pan Chicken Teriyaki! If you’re feeling like shrimp, there’s nothing better than crispy Panko Shrimp!

I Love Noodles – What Else Can I Make?

If you want a similarly quick and easy dish, make my 10 Minute Sesame Peanut Noodles (or the spicier version Spicy Peanut Noodles) and Spicy Garlic Ramen! Love chili oil? It only takes 15 minutes to make my Chili Oil Noodles! If you’re a fan of gochujang, you’ll love my Spicy Gochujang Noodles! For those that are looking for a heartier dish with mouth-numbing Szechuan flavors, you’ll love my Dan Dan Noodles! One of my personal favorites is Beef Chow Fun!