Vegan Zaru Soba (Cold Soba Noodles)

Last Updated on November 4, 2023

It’s unbearable hot and you don’t have much appetite for food? You need to try this light and refreshing Vegan Zaru Soba (Cold Soba Noodles).

It takes less than 10 minutes to whip up this ultimate cold noodle salad to cool you down on a hot summer day.

This is a classic summer noodle dish that originated in Japan and is widely spread throughout Asia.

These chilled soba noodles are traditionally served on a bamboo mat with grated daikon radish and wasabi, then garnished with shredded nori seaweed and sliced scallion.

Here are some vegan Japanese noodle dishes you probably would like too: Vegan yaki soba, and Vegan Yaki Udon.

What is Zaru Soba?

Zaru soba is a Japanese soba noodle dish. Soba noodles (buckwheat noodles) are simply boiled and chilled in icy water then served over a bamboo strainer.

Topped with shredded nori seaweed and scallion. When eating, dip chilled soba noodles in a soy-based dipping sauce called ” Tsuyu Sauce (つゆ)” (usually made with bonito Dashi).

Then add some freshly grated daikon radish and wasabi (Japanese horseradish) to the sauce before serving.

Zaru Soba is one of the most delicious ways to eat buckwheat noodles, so simple and quick to make.

We’re planning to use kombu tsuyu for our vegan soba dipping sauce (vegan tsuyu sauce), to make it a complete vegan dish.

Soba (Buckwheat Noodles)

There are different types of dried soba noodles. The major differences are the ratio of buckwheat flour in the noodles and flavors. 

The majority of dried soba noodles on the market are mixed with wheat flour.

If you are on a gluten-free diet, you need to choose Ju-wari Soba. It’s made with 100% buckwheat flour without wheat gluten, thus it’s easy to break after cooking.

In terms of flavors, there is a wide selection of flavored soba such as matcha green tea, ume plum, coconut, or shiitake soba…etc. It’s totally personal preference.

• Freshly Grated Daikon Radish – You can omit this one if you can’t find it in your local shops. If you’ve never had daikon before and would like to know what it tastes like, you can have a look at this post “What does daikon radish taste like?” and “How to cook daikon radishes?” to find out more tips for cooking daikon.

• Wasabi – Wasabi is grated Japanese horseradish, a common ingredient for sushi. It is pungent and spicy. This ingredient can be optional if you don’t like wasabi.

• Nori Seaweed – This is a must-have, as it gives our soba noodles so much flavor. I use sushi nori and shred it with a scissor. It’s cheaper than buying shredded nori.

• Scallion/spring onion and Toasted white sesame seeds– They’re must-haves.

Vegan Tsuyu (vegan soba sauce)

Vegan Tsuyu (vegan soba sauce) can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for a week. For our vegan soba sauce, we need:

• Kombu Tsuyu– or Shiitake Tsuyu, They’re two basic Japanese soup bases, and both work great with this recipe. You can find them in most Asian markets (Japanese food section).

• Soy Sauce- I use LKK gluten-free light soy sauce. You can choose Japanese soy sauce too. A big no-no to dark or sweet soy sauce.

• Mirin- Mirin is a Japanese sweet wine. It’s a pantry staple in many Japanese kitchens.

• Maple Syrup- Give the dipping sauce a touch of sweetness.

How to Make

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil (no salt is required). Separate the dried soba noodles when dropping them into the boiling water. Stir the noodles while cooking so that they don’t stick together.
2. Check to see if they’re cooked. Drain the water with a strainer and place the noodles under cold running water to remove excessive starch. Then transfer into a bowl with icy water for a minute to cool down
3. To make the vegan soba dipping sauce. Add water, kombu tsuyu, soy sauce, mirin, and maple syrup in a small mixing bowl and mix well.
4. Place the noodles on a bamboo mat (optional) over a plate, topped with shredded nori seaweed, sliced scallion, and toasted sesame seeds. Add grated daikon radish and wasabi (optional) to the vegan soba sauce. Serve the dipping sauce in the small bowl then pick up soba noodles, dip them in the dipping sauce briefly every time, and slurp up. 😉

Hope you like this hot summer life-saver! 😊 

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• Vegan Yakisoba
• Vegan Yaki Udon
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• 15 Cold Soba Noodle Recipes
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