When I think about soba noodles, the first thing that comes to mind are the words “onaka ni yasashii – お腹にやさしい” which literally translates to “friendly to the stomach”. Soba noodles are my favorite kind of Japanese noodles (I’m a huge fan of anything made with buckwheat) because of their texture, and also because I always feel so good after eating them. Buckwheat noodles are full of high-quality protein, they’re also potent in B vitamins (which lowers blood pressure and cholesterol), they cleanse the body’s digestive tract (hence ‘friendly to the stomach’), and can help guard against diabetes (as it helps balance insulin levels).
Yeah, soba is that healthy but it also tastes GREAT!
This soba noodle dish is fun to eat as you get to build your own bowl of noodles with toppings of your choice – I recommend adding grated ginger and daikon (they dissolve into the sauce to add extra flavor and zing), a little wasabi to wake up the nasal passages, chopped scallions for crunch, and chopped nori for a little toastiness. All of these mixed with a slightly sweet, umami filled sauce makes for a truly, exceptionally good dish. Serve this light noodle bowl with a refreshing glass of mugicha (barley tea) and a grapefruit jelly for dessert! This is the perfect summer meal!
You can make this soba noodles recipe gluten free by using 100% buckwheat noodles (most soba noodles are mixed with flour, so make sure you check before buying) and gluten-free soy sauce.
Soba Noodle Bowl
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 people 1x
- Category: Noodles
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Japanese
Description
A healthy bowl of chilled soba noodles served with various toppings and a tasty tsuyu sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup mirin
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons bonito flakes
- 250g soba noodles
Toppings (optional)
- Fishcakes
- Shiitake mushrooms
- Boiled egg
- Chopped nori (dried seaweed)
- Grated daikon
- Grated ginger
- Chopped scallions
- Wasabi
- Ichimi or shichimi pepper
Instructions
- To make the sauce, put the water, soy sauce, mirin, and bonito flakes in a small pot and simmer on low until the sauce is very warm, but not boiling hot.
- Drain the sauce into a bowl and set aside. Discard of the bonito flakes or make furikake by following this recipe.
- Cook the soba noodles according to package instructions, drain and rinse under cold water.
- Divide the noodles into two bowls, add the toppings and pour a little sauce over the noodles. Serve.
Notes
For any leftover soba, keep it in a storage container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The tsuyu will keep for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 588
- Sugar: 27.5g
- Sodium: 2240mg
- Fat: 1g
- Saturated Fat: 0.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 125g
- Fiber: 0.1g
- Protein: 20.5g
- Cholesterol: 1.1mg
Thanks a lot for your input. I’ve got a pretty well-stocked grocery store near me, with a good international foods section, but those two ingredients never seem to be there.
Hi Alex!
You don’t really need ichimi pepper, it adds a little kick but it’s basically red chili peppers. Omitting the katsuobushi is also okay, your broth will still taste good, but without the traditional fish base/dashi flavor. You’ll still end up with a really good bowl of soba noodles 🙂
Caroline,
This looks great and I’m looking forward to making it, but I haven’t been able to find the katsuo bushi and the ichimi pepper. I’ll keep looking, but any recommended substitutes, if need be? Thanks!
Thank you Pamela! I’m so glad you liked it, I love how healthy this dish is and oh so flavorful!
Just tried your recipe. It was easy to make, healthy, and delicious. Thank you for the recipe!
Pamela
Boston, MA