Cold Soba Noodles With Tsuyu Dipping Sauce

90 degrees in October? Seriously?

On a night like this, i just can't slave over a hot stove or a steaming plate of...well...anything. My friend passed along a wonderful article in the SF Chronicle, a collection of vegetarian recipes and they all looked so appetizing! This recipe in particular looked super easy and perfect for this indian summer that we're having.

These noodles are so refreshing and took no time at all to make! I've never actually ordered this dish so I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. I love how interactive this meal is and how I could change the taste of the noodles depending on what I dipped it in. This is a must try before summer... err... fall ends.

This recipe is adapted from Toshio Sakamaki, sushi chef at Ozumo in San Francisco.

Cold Soba Noodles With Tsuyu Dipping Sauce
3 cups dashi stock
1/2 cup mirin
1/2 cup soy sauce or tamari
1 (12.7-ounce) package of soba or Japanese-style buckwheat noodles
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions (optional)
Wasabi paste (optional)
1/4 cup grated daikon (optional)

To make dashi, wipe a 4-inch-square piece of kombu seaweed with a damp cloth and soak in a medium pot with 4 cups of water overnight. Remove the kombu and bring water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons dried bonito flakes, count 5 seconds, and turn off heat. Once the flakes have sunk to the bottom of the pan, strain out the liquid, discarding the solids. 

In a medium pot, bring dashi, mirin and soy sauce to a boil. Set aside to cool; refrigerate until chilled. 

Prepare the noodles according to package instructions, drain in a colander, then plunge into ice water to stop cooking. Return noodles to colander. Thoroughly rinse the noodles under cold water to remove excess starch. 

Divide noodles into individual portions and place on bamboo trays or regular plates. Pour some sauce into individual dipping bowls (you will likely have some sauce left over), arrange condiments on small plates, and serve with the noodles, letting everyone add condiments to the sauce to taste. Dip small amounts of the noodles into the sauce and eat. 

My kombu expanded to 3 times its original size!

My soba noodles taking an ice bath.

From left to right: dashi broth, soba noodles, green onions, and ponzu