Classic Zaru Soba with Customizable Chilled Dipping Sauce

You know why Zaru Soba is Japan's go-to summer comfort food? Watch those nutty buckwheat noodles hit the ice bath, then feel the cooling power of each mentsu dip bite. Ready to beat the heat? For a printable version of this recipe, visit my website. Just google Zaru Soba Sudachi to find me. Start by grabbing a small saucepan and adding 200ml of dashi stock, 5 teaspoons of soy sauce, 4 teaspoons of mirin, and half tablespoon of sugar. Give it a quick mix to help dissolve some of that sugar, and then turn on the heat. We just want to bring that to a boil and let it bubble for one minute to burn off some of the alcohol in the mirin. Now you might be wondering if you can use this sauce for udon too, and of course you can, but I created this recipe especially to go well with the nutty, earthy taste of soba noodles. If you're interested in my Zaru Udon sauce, check out my recipe. You can find the link in the description with more related recipes. Okay, let's take it off the stove and give it a little swirl to help release some of that heat. Next, we're going to transfer it to a heatproof jug and add a dry shiitake mushroom. This is going to add an amazing savoury depth to the sauce. Let it cool and then chill it in the fridge for about 20 to 30 minutes. Once your sauce is almost ready, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add two portions of soba noodles. The portion size depends on the brand and can range from as little as 60 grams to as much as 120 grams per portion. The ones I'm using today are about 85 grams per bundle. I recommend using about one litre of water for every 100 grams of soba noodles. Cook them for the time stated on the packaging. This is typically about four to five minutes. By the way, if you're looking for a challenge, check out my homemade soba noodle recipe. Okay, once the timer beeps, strain them and rinse them with cold water. Not only does this stop them from overcooking and remove any excess starch, but it also cools them down quickly, ready to eat cold. Place them in a bowl of cold water and add some ice cubes to make them even colder. Finally, we're going to prepare some bonus ingredients to keep our sauce interesting. I'm starting with some freshly grated ginger root. This is a classic and really refreshing in summer. A few chopped green onions are always great, and I personally love a bit of wasabi so I can change the flavour halfway through. Okay, my noodles are nice and cold, so I'm just going to place them on a draining tray we call a zaru. If you don't have one, you can serve them on a sushi mat or a plate. It works great. Sprinkle some shredded kizami nori on top as a finishing touch. Finally, divide your dipping sauce between individual serving cups and customise it with your favourite additions. All that's left is to dip your noodles and enjoy this classic Japanese summer dish. It's perfect as a light lunch or served with tempura for a real satisfying treat. Want even more delicious recipes? Grab my free cookbook from the link in the description. Okay, let's go over the ingredients one more time. And if you're ready to cook, grab the written instructions by clicking the full recipe box with a picture that's about to pop up on your screen. Here we go. The link to the full recipe is on the screen for you now. And if you want to watch more similar videos, don't miss my Japanese noodle recipe playlist popping up on your screen as well. Thanks so much for watching and I hope to see you in the next one. Bye.