14 Soba-tastic Soba Noodle Recipes You Must Try
Noodles play a large role in Japanese cuisine. One of the most common noodle dishes in Japan is soba noodles, which are noodles made from buckwheat. About as thin as spaghetti, these noodles are also quite healthy. Often making an appearance on the menus of many Japanese restaurants in America, there are actually a large variety of soba noodle dishes aside from the one option you might see on the menu.
If you enjoy Japanese food, soba noodles, or both, here are 14 soba-tastic soba noodle recipes you must try!
Western Style Soba
Soba Noodle Bar
Setting up a Soba Noodle bar, where guests or the family can pick and choose their own soba toppings, is always a great option for lunch or dinner. It is quick, easy and healthy. You can find the recipe here. If you’re feeling more traditional, you can take inspiration from the following classic Japanese style soba dishes below.
Japanese Style Soba
Tempura Soba
Also referred to as tensoba, this filling meal consists of soba noodles topped with fish or vegetables that have been deep-fried in tempura batter. Tempura soba makes a great comfort food, as the dish is typically served with the noodles and tempura in a flavorful dashi broth seasoned with soy sauce.
Zaru Soba
This soba noodle dish is eaten cold. It consists of a simple dish of chilled soba noodles, served with a savory dipping sauce called tsuyu, which is made primarily from dashi and soy sauce, and further seasoned with wasabi, sliced spring onions, or sliced daikon radish. The soba is also typically garnished with nori seaweed.
Kitsune Soba
Kitsune soba is a hot dish of soba noodles topped with a thin slice of fried tofu, called aburaage.
Kake Soba
Your basic soba noodle dish, the noodles are first boiled and drained, and then a hot broth is poured over the noodles. “Kake” means “to pour over” in Japanese.
Tororo Soba
In this dish, the soba noodles are topped with a white cream made from grated raw nagaimo (yam), called tororo. The cream can also be served on the side, allowing you to add it to the dish as you desire.
Sansai Soba
A very flavorful and healthy soba noodle dish, the noodles come topped with an assortment of wild vegetables, called sansai. All sit within a hot broth.
Sobayu
In Japan, it is quite common to enjoy sobayu, which is the water that the soba noodles have been cooked in. The mild broth serves as a finish to the meal, and is said to contain a variety of nutrients from the noodles.
Kizami Soba
Kizami soba is the same as Kitsune soba, except the dish is served cold, rather than hot.
Instant Soba
Don’t have time to prepare your own soba noodle dish? Try instant soba! Like ramen and other instant noodle dishes, instant soba comes in a variety of flavors and can be found at Asian supermarkets and groceries.
Yamakake Soba
This dish is also quite similar to tororo soba, with the white, glutinous cream made from grated yams. However, it is enjoyed cold in the summer as a refreshing treat.
Mori Soba
Mori soba is a simple dish of cold soba noodles, served with a tsuyu dipping sauce. Mori soba differs from Zaru soba in that there is no garnish of nori.
Hiyashi Soba
Another cold soba noodle dish, the noodles are typically garnished with an assortment of vegetables, such as okra, natto (fermented soybeans), or daikon radish.
Tsukimi Soba
The soba noodles in this dish are topped with a raw egg. When a hot broth is poured over the dish, it poaches the egg.
You can purchase many of the ingredients used to make these delicious soba noodle dishes at Asian supermarkets, or possibly even in the International aisle of your local supermarket,