Cold Soba with Dipping Sauce
Buckwheat noodles boiled at camp and chilled in cold water, served with a salty-sweet sauce. A light lunch that doesn't need much gear.
- calories
- 300
- weight
- 3 oz
- cal / oz
- 100
- protein
- 8 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 10 min
- total time
- 12 min
- water
- 600 ml boiled
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Canister stove
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Vegetarian
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Grab and go
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Dried soba noodles | 2 oz | 100% buckwheat (Juwari) for gluten-free option |
|---|---|---|
| Soy sauce | 3 tbsp | carried in a small bottle |
| Water | 600 ml | |
| Honey | 1 tbsp | or sugar if you prefer |
Method
- Boil 600 ml of water in your pot.
- Add the soba noodles and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Drain through a strainer into a bowl to save 300 ml of the cooking water.
- Rinse the noodles under cold water if you have it; otherwise let them cool.
- Mix soy sauce and honey into the saved cooking water to make the dipping sauce.
- Serve the noodles cold or at room temperature with sauce on the side for dipping.
Zaru soba is the anti-stew: noodles served cold without broth, meant for summer and quick meals. The dipping sauce does all the work—intensely salty and sweet, meant to coat each bite. On the trail, boil your noodles, drain them well, and the water you save becomes your sauce. You’re not eating this to warm up.
Soba noodles cook in four minutes flat and cool just as fast. The salty-sweet sauce is strong enough that a little goes a long way; you’ll dip each noodle, not pour broth over them. This is as close as you get to a fresh, cold lunch without carrying ice.
Packing
Soba noodles in one bag, soy sauce in a small dropper bottle. Honey in a sealed compartment. Bring or improvise a strainer to drain the noodles.
Variations
- A pinch of dashi powder stirred into the sauce adds umami depth.
- A soft-boiled egg carried cold adds 70 calories and 6 grams of protein.
- Dried green onion or seaweed flakes sprinkled on top add flavor for almost no weight.
https://tomiescuisine.co.uk/featured/zaru-soba-the-cold-japanese-noodle-you-need-this-summer