Recipe: Japanese Soba-Noodle in Hot Broth

Noodles are a staple in the Japanese diet, and one of my favorite Japanese noodles is the thin buckwheat soba (そば). Soba noodles can be enjoyed cold (served with a cold dipping sauce) or in a hot broth as noodle soup. 

Since it is mostly hot here in Malaysia, I am partial to the cold version, but on rainy days, a hot bowl of soba noodles is most welcomed.  

Japanese soba-noodle broth

Hot soba is served in a bowl of hot tsuyu, which is thinner than that used as dipping sauce for the cold soba. The ingredients for hot tsuyu is the same as the tsuyu for dipping, but in different ratios -dashi stock, Japanese soy sauce, mirin and caster sugar.

I like using Shinshu dried soba noodles. The noodles are cooked separately, then topped with the hot tsuyu along with my chosen toppings - bunashimeji mushrooms, wakame and sliced spring onions. A simple and very satisfying bowl of noodles.

Soba-noodle broth
Recipe by Baby Sumo, adapted from Japanese Bible
Preparation time: 2 minutes
Cooking time: 13-15 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients
100-120g dried Shinshu soba noodles
1l dashi stock II (see here)
1/4 cup Japanese soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin (sweet cooking wine)
1/2 tbsp caster sugar
1 spring onion (white parts only).thinly sliced on the diagonal

Optional ingredients
1 tsp dried wakame
2 tbsp bunashimeji mushrooms


1. Fill a large saucepan with water and lightly salt it. Bring to the boil and once boiling, add the noodles and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until they are just cooked. Drain and rinse under cold water to remove excess starch and stop the noodles from continuing to cook.

2. Prepare broth by combining dashi, soy, mirin and sugar in a saucepan over medium high heat. Stir to dissolve sugar, and once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for 13 minutes, uncovered. Add the wakame and mushrooms and cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. Divide noodles between two bowls and ladle broth over. Sprinkle with spring onions and serve immediately.

Note:
1. The cookbook suggests 100g soba noodles per person, but I feel this is too much. Recommended to serve: ladies portion 50g and men's portion 70g.
2. If you do not have time to make dashi stock II from scratch, you can also use dashi sachet.

*I am submitting this to the Little Thumbs Up "Soy Beans" event organized by Bake for Happy Kids, my little favourite DIY and hosted by Mich of Piece of Cake. You can link your soy recipes here.

*I am also submitting this to Cook-Your-Books #5 hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours and to Asian Food Fest #1 Oct 2013 : Japan hosted by Alan from travelling-foodies.



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*This recipe was featured on Asian Food Channel's Facebook page on 23 October 2013.