- Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. …
- Immediately drain soba and transfer to a bowl with cold water to stop the cooking.
- Once soba is cooled, drain and transfer to a few paper towels to dry.
- Toss cooled soba with a small drizzle of sesame oil and soy sauce.
5 Important Tips When Cooking Soba Noodles
IngredientsYield: 2 to 4 servings
1 gram of fat, 11 grams of protein, 1411 milligrams of sodium, 46 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, and 1 gram of sugars make up the 233 calories in this serving.
Note: Based on ingredients and preparation that are readily available, Edamam has estimated the data displayed. It shouldn’t be used as a replacement for advice from a qualified nutritionist.
How to Make Sesame Soba Noodles
Similar to any noodle recipe, the sauce and aromatics are what give a plain noodle its flavor. And again, with soba, you want to keep things simple. And that means a simple sauce is in order.
The ingredients for this sauce are:
The soba noodle cooking and the sauce’s preparation are both quick. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or 1/4 teaspoon of chili garlic sauce for a spicier bite.
Make sure your sesame oil is fresh when using it. If not stored properly, sesame oil will lose quality quickly after being opened due to its short shelf life. I keep mine in the fridge, but I also always keep a fresh bottle in my pantry as a backup.
Sesame seeds should be toasted in a dry pan over medium-high heat. To prevent burning, move the seeds around frequently in the pan. Don’t skip this step, it toasting totally makes the difference.
The only other flavor enhancer in this dish, keeping with our simple theme, is green onion, which is added in abundance in two different steps.
The green onion is first diced and then chopped into 1/2-inch lengths.
Before adding the sauce to the pan, the larger green onion pieces are quickly cooked. After that, when the noodles are added, add a lot of the diced green onions to the warm noodles and sauce, reserving some to add right before serving for a crisp crunch and bite.
In addition to being delicious on their own or as a simple side dish, these sesame soba noodles also make a super simple base for noodle bowls.
The sesame noodle bowls can also be an entertaining idea for a DIY doctor-it-up meal by adding various proteins to go with them, such as:
Yes, you can opt for a baked chicken dish with a hoisin or teriyaki glaze and sliced chicken.
FAQ
How long do you cook soba noodles?
Soba noodles should be cooked for 4-5 minutes, or until just tender, in a large pot of boiling water, stirring occasionally to prevent the noodles from clumping. Drain in a colander and thoroughly rinsing with cold water while tossing to get rid of the starch
Do you rinse soba noodles before cooking?
How to prepare soba noodles. To remove excess starch, it is preferable to rinse dried soba noodles in cold water before cooking them as opposed to pasta. Add the dried soba noodles to boiling water and cook for a few minutes to prepare them the traditional Japanese way.
Do soba noodles need to be boiled?
Like most noodles, soba noodles should be cooked in boiling water, with the exception of some Asian varieties like cellophane and rice noodles. For the majority of brands, allow 8 to 10 minutes (although some cook in 3 to 5 minutes; always check the label for instructions).
