Ingredients
7 oz soba, (buckwheat noodles) dried
3 cups water
1 kombu, (dried kelp) 4x4 inches
1 cup katsuobushi, (dried bonito flakes)
1 tbsp sake, rice wine
2 tbsp mirin, sweet cooking wine
2 tbsp usukuchi, (soy sauce) light colored or regular
3⁄4 tsp kosher salt, or use half for table salt
2 tbsp wakame seaweed, dried
4 kamaboko slices, (fish cake)
1 green onion, scallion
shichimi togarashi, Japanese seven spice
2 1⁄3 cups water
1⁄3 cup mentsuyu/tsuyu, (concentrated noodle soup base)
1 tbsp mirin
Preparation
Soak kombu in water overnight or at least 30 minutes before cooking. This makes the broth more flavorful. Boil a big pot of water for soba noodles.
Pour kombu and water mixture into a medium saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium low heat. When it comes to a boil discard kombu. Set kombu aside for other dishes. Keep simmering the broth.
Add katsuobushi and simmer for 30 seconds. Turn heat off and let katsuobushi steep for 10 minutes.
Strain the dashi stock into a bowl and set katsuoboshi aside. Put dashi back in the saucepan. Save katsuoboshi for other dishes. Add sake, mirin, soy sauce, and kosher salt. Bring to a simmer. Once boiling, remove from heat, cover, and set aside.
In 1 cup water, rehydrate wakame seaweed. Squeeze water out and set seaweed aside.
Thinly slice green onions.
Remove bottom of kamaboko from the wooden board and slice into 4 thin pieces.
In a pot of boiling water, cook soba noodles according to package instructions. Drain and wash under running water. Transfer noodles into individual bowls.
Pour hot broth over soba noodles, top with kamaboko, wakame seaweed, and green onions. Sprinkle shichimi togarashi if preferred. Serve while hot.
Follow instructions of mentsuyu bottle to make broth.
In a medium saucepan, combine water, mentsuyu, and mirin. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cover and turn heat off. Pour over soba noodles, add toppings, and serve while hot. Enjoy!
