Go Back
–+ servings
a bowl of cold soba noodles in tomato water with vegetables

Cold Soda Noodles in Tomato Water With Dipping Sauce

A Chefy farewell to the Summertime that comes together in 20 minutes! Cold Soba has always been a favorite of mine and is always a pleasure to eat.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: lunch
Cuisine: Japanese
Calories: 544
Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients:
  • 2 portions of soba noodles about 2 quarters diameter worth
  • 1 qt tomatoes roughly chopped into chunks, the ripest you can find.
  • 1 English cucumber one half cut julienne and the other half cut into thin circular slices.
  • ½ cup cherry tomatoes one half cut into very thin slices and the other half quartered.
  • ½ cup scallions one half cut julienne and the other half minced
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds
  • ice cubes to keep cold in your bowls
Dashi Ingredients
  • 1 piece kombu roughly a 4x4" piece, doesn't need to be exactly this size at all
  • 1 piece dried shiitake mushroom
  • ¼ cup katsuobushi bonito flakes
  • 1 scallion bottoms the scallion scraps essentially for added flavor, optional
  • 1 qt water
Dipping Sauce Ingredients:
  • 2 cups dashi instant or homemade, see note above
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp mirin
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp ginger micro grated
  • salt to taste
Green Herby Oil Ingredients:
  • 1 batch fresh parsley rough chop
  • 1 cup avocado oil Or enough to submerge the parsley in your blender. You can also use another neutral oil like vegetable oil.

Method
 

Make your tomato water:
  1. Add your tomatoes to a high powered blender and blend on high until fully blended. Strain mixture through a coffee filter or cheese cloth. Note: Strain this way twice for super clear liquid.
Prep your other veggies:
  1. Season circular sliced cucumbers lightly with salt and sugar and set aside in a small bowl. Prep Scallions and place the julienne cut scallions in a small bowl with ice water. Set aside.
Make your dashi:
  1. If making homemade dashi, combine water, kombu, shitake, and scallion bottom (if using) is a small sauce pan and bring to a bare simmer for about 5 minutes. Skim any foamy gunk that collects on the water’s surface. Cut the heat and top the mixture in the pan with katsuobushi. Let it sit for about 30 seconds and then strain and set aside. Note: Be careful not to let the mixture boil too aggressively, it will impart more bitter flavors.
Make your green herby oil:
  1. Blanch parsley in 1 qt of boiling water for about 30 seconds. Remove from the water and submerge directly in an ice bath to help shock the parsley and help it retain it’s bright color. Dry by laying out flat in between two pieces of paper towel. Add the parsley to your blender along with your oil and blend on high until well combined. Strain the mixture through a coffee filter or cheese cloth. Note: You can keep this oil in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
Make your dipping sauce:
  1. Mix together your dashi, mirin, rice vinegar, sesame oil, minced scallions and ginger. Season to taste with salt.
Cooking your soba noodles:
  1. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a roaring boil. Salt the water and stir to combine. Cook soba as indicated on packaging (usually about 4-5 minutes). Strain and place soba directly in an ice water bath to let cool off.
To assemble and serve:
  1. Place 1 tsp of herby oil in the center of 2 bowls. Place the noodles on top of them (split between the 2 bowls). Garnish each bowl with sliced and quartered tomatoes, julienne cucumbers and seasoned cucumber slices. and scallion curls. Pour tomato water into each bowl, leaving the surface of the noodles uncovered. Garnish with a light drizzle of green herby oil, sesame seeds and a few ice cubs to keep it cold. Serve with dipping sauce in a bowl beside it, dipping each bite as you go.

Nutrition

Calories: 544kcalCarbohydrates: 90gProtein: 22gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 3802mgPotassium: 987mgFiber: 3gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 1057IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 172mgIron: 5mg

Notes

  • For a vegan/vegetarian version, omit the katsuobushi (bonito flakes)
  • For l fuss’ version, omit the herb oil.
  • You will have a TON of green herby oil left over after this since you'll only need a few tablespoons for this recipe. Keep it in a sealed container in the fridge for a week or two and add it to whatever dishes you like for a little color pop and extra flavor!

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!