So refreshing and light on a hot summer day. And easy to prepare. Makes a terrific brunch addition. Perhaps serve a little sashimi or sushi on the side. Just add cold sake or a chilled cocktail or mocktail.

Soba is a Japanese noodle made from buckwheat. Buckwheat sounds like a heavy noodle, but they are surprisingly light. Soba noodles have fewer calories, more fiber, and more protein than traditional pasta.

Grated carrots are not traditional in this recipe, but the first time I made it I didn’t have daikon radish. I really liked the color and the flavor so I kept them in the ingredients.

I must confess, I’m not a huge noodle or pasta fan. A good friend of mine gave me a few packages of soba noodles so I went for it. I was pleasantly surprised by them. Plus, the only other time I’ve eaten cold noodles is spaghetti leftovers out of the refrigerator after a long night out. Well, back in the day. In a galaxy far. far away.

Add this dish to your heat wave menu repertoire. The way things are going, maybe I should make a category called “heat wave” food and beverages?

EQUIPMENT: colander, bowl

ざるそば Zaru Soba

Recipe by Anna Stockel Cuisine: JapaneseDifficulty: Average

Servings

2

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Cold Soba Noodles

Ingredients

• Noodles

• 6 oz dried soba noodles

• 1 1/4 cups ice water

• Sides

• 2 green onions

• 1/4 cup peeled and finely grated daikon

• 3 tablespoons peeled and finely grated carrots

• 1 teaspoon wasabi, or to taste

• 1 sheet toasted nori, cut into thin strips

• Dipping Sauce

• 1 cup dashi, from instant

• 1/4 cup Tamari sauce

• 3 tablespoons mirin

• 1 teaspoon cane sugar

Directions

• Bring dashi, Tamari sauce, mirin, and sugar to gentle boil over medium heat. When sugar has dissolved remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
• Cook noodles according to the package instructions. Add the dried soba noodles to the boiling water, stirring frequently with chopsticks to separate the noodles from each other. The noodles are done when they are just tender.
• Drain noodles in a colander and rinse under cold running water to keep noodles from sticking together.
• Shake colander to remove as much water as possible. Dip the colander of noodles into a large bowl of ice water. Chill for 30 seconds, drain well, and set aside.
• Arrange chopped green onions, shredded daikon, shredded carrots, and wasabi on individual plates and serve with soba noodles garnished with nori on top and individual cups of dipping sauce.
• Divide noodles evenly between plates, mounding the noodles. Pour dipping sauce into individual little bowls to serve alongside noodles.
• To eat, stir some daikon, carrots, wasabi, and green onion into dipping sauce. Take some noodles with chopsticks and dip.