Japanese cuisine is home to many recipes that feature different kinds of noodles, such as soba noodles. Their first recorded mention was in a book published in 1796. The first soba restaurant opened in that century, too.
The Japanese have such high regard for soba noodles that they often eat them during the New Year to bring good fortune and a longer life. When they move into a new home, their new neighbors welcome them into the area by giving them noodles.
1 If you are fascinated by soba noodles and want to learn how to use them in recipes, continue reading this article.
What Are Soba Noodles?
Soba noodles are made of buckwheat flour and possess a strong and nutty flavor.2 In some cases, however, wheat flour is added during the noodle-making process to allow the dough to hold together and deliver some elasticity once it’s rolled. Two common types of soba noodles include:3,4
- Juwari soba — This traditional soba noodle is made with 100% buckwheat flour, and has a dry and rough texture and strong buckwheat aroma. A caveat of Juwari soba is its tendency to break easily.
- Ni-hachi or Hachi-wari soba — This is made by mixing around 80% buckwheat flour and 20% wheat flour. These noodles are smooth and have an al dente texture. Although they don’t have a buckwheat aroma, they are easier to cook, swallow and chew.
The noodles’ price can increase depending on the amount of buckwheat flour in the product.5 Traditionally, soba noodles are served cold alongside a dipping sauce, added to salads, soups or stir-fries,6 or paired with tempura.7 Avoid confusing soba with other noodle dishes with the name “soba,” such as yakisoba, chukasoba or Okinawa soba.8
Are Soba Noodles Gluten-Free?
Pure buckwheat soba noodles are gluten-free. However, if you’re buying packaged soba noodles, you should check the ingredients list first, since some manufacturers add wheat flour to the products. Wheat flour-containing noodles should be avoided not just by people following a gluten-free diet,9 but people looking to improve their health too. Most wheat is contaminated with glyphosate which will impair tight junctions in your gut.
However, if you love the taste of soba noodles and want to use them for your meals, you may opt for gluten-free soba noodles purchased from a reputable source.
How to Cook Soba Noodles
Once you have gluten-free soba noodles, you can cook them on your stovetop by following these instructions.10 Don’t overcook:
How to Cook Soba Noodles on the Stovetop
Ingredients
- Sliced gluten-free soba noodles
- Hot water
Procedure
- Boil water in a large stewpot.
- Place soba noodles softly in water and boil for 80 seconds. Don’t overcrowd the water; cook them in batches. Be sure not to overcook or they clump together.
- Rinse the cooked noodles in cold water to remove starches that make them stick together, then let drain in a colander.
Try These Soba Noodle Recipes at Home
Zaru Soba is arguably the most “authentic” way to prepare these noodles. This recipe showcases cold soba noodles served on a bamboo basket called zaru, alongside a dipping sauce and other toppings.11 You can also incorporate soba noodles into a salad, just like in this vegan soba noodle recipe adapted from Food and Wine magazine. This recipe is great for sharing and can be served at parties and special occasions:12
Cold Soba Salad With Dried Shiitake Dressing Recipe
Total Time: 1 hour Serving Size: 20 servings
Ingredients
- 1/2 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1 cup light soy sauce
- 1 cup finely julienned pickled daikon (These are available at Japanese and Korean markets. Any pickled radish is a good substitute.)
- 1/2 cup mirin
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh ginger
- 3 tablespoons Thai sweet chile sauce
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- Kosher salt
- Two 14-ounce packages gluten-free soba noodles
- 4 large carrots, finely julienned
- 1/2 pound mung bean sprouts
- 1/4 cup black sesame seeds
Procedure
- In a small saucepan, combine the shiitake with the soy sauce, mirin and ginger, and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Strain the liquid into a blender and add the sweet chile sauce and oil. Blend until emulsified. Let the dressing cool.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice water. Boil the soba noodles until tender for three minutes. Drain in a colander and set the colander in the ice water. Toss the noodles to cool; drain well, shaking out the excess water, and transfer to a bowl.
- Add the carrots, daikon, bean sprouts, sesame seeds and dressing to the noodles, and toss to coat. Serve lightly chilled or at room temperature.
You can add soba noodles to soups, too, for a healthy meal that you can serve during cold days. This healthy soup recipe adapted from Bon Appétit magazine is a good example:13
Green Miso Soup With Soba Recipe
Serving Size: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 3x5-inch piece kombu
- 3/4 ounce bonito flakes (about 1 1/2 packed cups)
- 4 ounces dried gluten-free soba noodles
- Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon dried wakame
- 1/2 cup frozen shelled organic edamame, thawed
- 1/4 cup white miso
- 1/2 cup very finely chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, cilantro and/or chives
- 1 scallion, very thinly sliced
Procedure
- Combine kombu and 4 cups water in a large pot. Let sit until kombu softens, 25 to 30 minutes. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Immediately remove from heat once water starts simmering; fish out kombu and discard.
- Add bonito flakes and stir once to submerge them. Return to a gentle boil, reduce heat and simmer for about five minutes. Remove from heat and let steep 15 minutes (this ensures you get the most flavorful broth, or dashi, possible).
- Meanwhile, combine wakame and 3 Tbsp. water in a small bowl; let sit until wakame is softened for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Cook soba in a medium pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about six minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water to stop them from cooking and drain again. Divide noodles among bowls.
- Strain dashi through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Discard solids, wipe out pot and return dashi to pot. Add edamame and wakame. Bring to a very gentle simmer.
- Remove from heat. Submerge sieve in liquid, add miso to sieve and stir to liquefy miso, then press through strainer until miso is dissolved. Stir in herbs. Ladle soup over soba and top with scallions.
Soba noodles make a great addition to a stir-fry too. If you want to try something new, this stir-fry recipe adapted from “The Love and Lemons Cookbook: An Apple-to-Zucchini Celebration of Impromptu Cooking” may give you ideas:14
Soba With Mushrooms and Crumbled Hazelnuts
Serving Size: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 small leek
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) roasted hazelnuts, pulsed in food processor into fine crumbs
- 8 cups (2 L) mixed mushrooms (creminis, shiitakes), sliced
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) raw, grass fed butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 ounces (225 g) gluten-free soba noodles
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) tamari
- 1 cup (250 ml) microgreens
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Procedure
- Slice the white and light green parts of the leek into rings. Using a strainer, rinse the leeks thoroughly.
- Prepare the mushrooms by removing the steams and then cleaning with a damp cloth or a paper towel.
- In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the leek, mushrooms and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until browned, about eight minutes, stirring only occasionally.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the soba noodles according to the package directions. Drain and rinse.
- To the mushroom mixture, stir in the rice vinegar, tamari and crushed hazelnuts. Remove from the heat and toss with the soba noodles. Season to taste.
- Transfer to plates, top with microgreens and serve.
Soba Noodles Nutrition Facts
Although soba noodles are versatile, their nutrition content isn’t very remarkable. A cup of cooked soba noodles (114 grams) has roughly 113 calories and 24.44 grams of carbohydrates. While it does contain minerals like magnesium, calcium, potassium and sodium, these are in very small amounts. Refer to this nutrition facts table for more information:
Soba Noodles Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 3.5 ounces (100 grams), raw
| Proximates |
|
|
|
| Water |
g |
73.01 |
83.23 |
| Energy |
kcal |
99 |
113 |
| Protein |
g |
5.06 |
5.77 |
| Total lipid (fat) |
g |
0.10 |
0.11 |
| Carbohydrate, by difference |
g |
21.44 |
24.44 |
| Minerals |
|
|
|
| Calcium, Ca |
mg |
4 |
5 |
| Iron, Fe |
mg |
0.48 |
0.55 |
| Magnesium, Mg |
mg |
9 |
10 |
| Phosphorus, P |
mg |
25 |
28 |
| Sodium, Na |
mg |
60 |
68 |
| Zinc, Zn |
mg |
0.12 |
0.14 |
| Vitamins |
|
|
|
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid |
mg |
0.0 |
0.0 |
| Thiamin |
mg |
0.094 |
0.107 |
| Riboflavin |
mg |
0.026 |
0.030 |
| Niacin |
mg |
0.510 |
0.581 |
| Vitamin B-6 |
mg |
0.040 |
0.046 |
| Folate, DFE |
mg |
7 |
8 |
| Vitamin B-12 |
mg |
0.00 |
0.00 |
| Vitamin A, RAE |
mg |
0 |
0 |
| Vitamin A, IU |
mg |
0 |
0 |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3) |
mg |
0.0 |
0.0 |
| Vitamin D |
mg |
0 |
0 |
| Lipids |
|
|
|
| Fatty acids, total saturated |
g |
0.019 |
0.022 |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated |
g |
0.026 |
0.030 |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated |
g |
0.031 |
0.035 |
| Cholesterol |
mg |
0 |
0 |
+ Sources and References