Cross over into 2019 with a warm bowl of buckwheat noodle soup: Toshikoshi Soba. The Japanese eat it on New Year’s Eve, because the long noodles symbolize long life. The buckwheat symbolizes strength and resilience, just like the tough buckwheat crop. And shrimps are a popular topping, because their curved shape symbolizes “living so long that your back starts to bend”. So if you too want to live a long life full of strength, then this is your dish ;)
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Number of servings: 2
Ingredients
- 720ml water
- Kombu (10x10 cm)
- 10g dried bonito flakes
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- ¼ tsp kitchen salt
- 200g dried soba noodles
Toppings:
- Ebi tempura (fried shrimp)
- 4 slices of fish cake
- 2 scallions, sliced
- Baby spinach
How to make it
Soak the kombu in water, preferably the night before.
Cook the soba noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse the noodles, then divide the noodles over two soup bowls.
Pour the water with kombu in a medium saucepan. Slowly bring it to a boil over medium low heat. When almost boiling, discard the kombu.
Add the bonito flakes and simmer for 30 seconds. Then turn off the heat and let the bonito flakes sink to the bottom of the saucepan. Let the flakes steep for about 10 minutes. Prepare the toppings in the meantime.
Take the bonito flakes out of the sauce pan. Add the mirin, soy sauce, and kitchen salt. Bring it to a simmer.
Pour the broth over the soba noodles. Top it with fish cakes, spinach, ebi tempura and sliced scallions.
Itadakimasu! Let’s dig in!