Zaru Soba (Japanese Cold Soba Noodles)
Zaru Soba is a classic Japanese noodle dish perfect for cooling off in warm weather. Learn how to make it and enjoy its delicious and refreshing taste!
Looking for simple noodle dishes? Try my Cold Ramen Noodle Salad, Cold Somen Noodles, or Zaru Udon!
I’ll walk you through the ingredients and step-by-step instructions. I hope you enjoy it!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this Zaru Soba Recipe:
How To Make Zaru Soba: STEP BY STEP
Here are some quick visual instructions! For the video and all the detailed ingredients and instructions, go to the printable recipe card below.
Step 1
Chop green onions.
Step 2
Cook soba noodles in boiling water.
Step 3
Rinse the soba noodles.
Step 4
Dilute the mentsuyu with water.
Place a bamboo strainer on a plate, place soba noodles, and serve with dipping sauce and condiments, and enjoy the fresh noodles!
How to Serve Zaru Soba
When eating at a Japanese restaurant, zaru soba is typically served on a bamboo strainer (zaru) or bamboo basket, with dipping sauce and condiments on the side. The bamboo strainer drains any excess water from the noodles and prevents them from becoming soggy. It helps to keep the soba noodles firm and chewy, allowing you to enjoy their texture and flavor to the fullest.
How to Eat Zaru Soba
Try the zaru soba with just the noodles and dipping sauce. You can then experiment with adding condiments to the sauce to adjust the flavor to your liking. Whether to add them little by little or all at once is a matter of personal preference.
To eat zaru soba, use chopsticks (see how to hold chopsticks) to pick up a few noodles and dip them into the sauce halfway, making sure not to fully submerge them as the sauce overpowers the soba noodles’ flavor. Next, lift the noodles out of the sauce and slurp them up to savor their chewy texture. Be careful, as the sauce may splatter (if you are comfortable slurping).
About slurping noodles
If you come from a culture where slurping food is uncommon, slurping noodles may feel strange. However, if you want to fully experience zaru soba’s deliciousness, come to Japan and slurp noodles with us! It’s a fun and authentic way to enjoy this popular Japanese dish and immerse yourself in the local culture!
Sobayu
When dining at soba restaurants in Japan, it is common to be served sobayu after finishing the dish. Sobayu is the water used to cook soba noodles, similar to pasta water. You can drink sobayu like tea or add it to the remaining dipping sauce and drink.
Sobayu is rich in nutrients such as vitamin B1 and rutin, also found in soba noodles. Consuming sobayu allows you to enjoy the nutritional benefits of soba noodles and their unique flavor. Thus, sobayu is a great way to experience the full benefits of soba noodles.
Condiments Variations
Experimenting with different condiments is a great way to add extra flavor to your liking. Some popular condiments for zaru soba include:
Feel free to experiment and find the combination that you enjoy the most!
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Zaru Soba (Japanese Cold Soba Noodles)
Print Pin SaveEquipment
- 1 Medium saucepan 18cm (7 inches)
- 1 Strainer
Ingredients
- 2 servings Dried Soba Noodles, 140g, 5oz
- ½ cup Mentsuyu, 120ml
- ½ cup Water, 120ml
- 5 cm Green Onions, 2 inches, chop
- A little Wasabi
- Shredded Nori Seaweed
Instructions
- Prepare condiments: Chop green onions and serve on a small plate along with a little wasabi.
- Cook soba noodles: Boil plenty of water (not in the ingredients list) in a medium saucepan, add soba noodles, and cook according to the package instructions. Stir the noodles with chopsticks to separate them while cooking.
- Drain the noodles: Drain using a strainer and quickly rinse under cold running water to cool it down.
- Dipping sauce: Combin mentsuyu and water in a measuring jar and pour into a serving bowl.
- Serve: Place a bamboo strainer on a plate, put the soba noodles, top with shredded nori seaweed, and serve with dipping sauce and condiments.
Video
Notes
- Find the homemade mentsuyu recipe here.
- After boiling, immediately rinse the noodles under cold running water to stop the cooking process and remove excess starch. This helps achieve a firm and chewy texture.