Dish of Soba Noodle Salad
(click to enlarge)

Soba Noodle Salad


Japan
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 1-2/3 #
**
40 min
Yes		 Soba is a widely popular cold noodle dish in Japan, and beyond Japan. It is mainly served as a salad outside Japan and plain with dip within Japan. (see Comments).

5.3
-------
1/4
1-1/2
1
3
1
-------
2
2
1
oz
---
in
T
T
T
T
---

T
T
Soba Noodles (1)
-- Dressing
Ginger Root
Rice Vinegar
Mirin (2)  
Soy Sauce
Sesame Oil dark
-- Finish
Scallions
Cilantro
Sesame, toasted (3) 		Make   -   (40 min)
  1. Set up a bowl of Ice Water so you can chill the noodles immediately.
  2. Boil up plenty of salted water as you would for Linguini. Stir in SOBA. Cook until cooked through. This will be about 7 minutes. Do Not overcook. Drain in a strainer and run some cold water through it, then pour into the ice water to chill.
  3. Grate GINGER fine.
  4. In a small jar, combine all Dressing items.
  5. Slice SCALLIONS very thin, all green and most white. Chop CILANTRO small. Measure is after chopping moderately packed. Mix.
  6. Tumble Soba with Dressing, Scallion mix and Sesame Seeds.
  7. Serve chilled. This recipe refrigerates really well - even a day or a few.
NOTES:

  1. Soba:

      [Buckwheat Noodles]   5.3 ounces is about 2 standard 75 gram bundles. these noodles come two ways, 100% Buckwheat and Buckwheat with Wheat Flower. Those with Wheat Flower are best for this salad, unless you want Vegan or Gluten Free. The 100% take more care in cooking and tend to break up. For details, see our Soba Noodles page.

  2. Mirin:

      This is traditionally a very sweet Sake (Hon Mirin), but most commercial products are faked up. Our recipe Mirin - Non Traditional is very easy to make at home and closer to traditional than most commercial products.

  3. Sesame Seeds Toasted:

      This is an important topping throughout Asia. Available in Asian markets, but best made at home, so see our recipe Toasted Sesame Seeds.

  4. Comments:

      In Japan, these noodles are most often served plain, with the dressing as a dip, and toppings separate (see our Zaru Soba recipe). This is less than ideal in North America, and is not suitable for buffet service. We present it as a salad, which works just fine. I am skilled with chopsticks, but these noodles are difficult to manage with them. A salad fork is very much better. Not authentic? The younger generations in Japan have taken to forks in preference to chopsticks. In Japan, the boiling water is not salted, but outside Japan it is usually salted as for Italian pasta.
  5. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste

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