Kurumi Soba (Soba with Walnut Dipping Sauce)

A recipe for Kurumi Soba (Soba with Walnut Dipping Sauce)! Refreshing Japanese chilled soba noodles paired with a walnut dipping sauce and thinly sliced green onions.

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I originally came across this recipe for Kurumi Soba in Japanese Farm Food and it was perfect for the warm days we are still having here in Los Angeles.

Soba noodles are cooked until tender (I recently found Yuzu soba at the Tokyo Centra and Main in Gardena, California), rinsed in ice water, and drained to make sure they are completely chilled and free of starch.

The tender soba noodles are paired with a homemade dipping sauce seasoned with ground walnuts. It is such a light and refreshing dish that comes together in less than 30 minutes for an easy lunch.

To serve, lift each bite of the chilled soba noodles and dip them briefly in the seasoned dipping sauce before slurping up.

The dipping sauce tends to be salty so don’t let the noodles soak too long. You just want to give them a bit of the flavor.

The leftover sauce can be diluted further with sobayu (the reserved cooking water from the soba) to make a soup.

Notable Ingredients

Dashi is a stock used often in Japanese cooking. It is made with a combination of Kombu (dried Japanese kelp) and Katsuobushi (bonito/tuna flakes) simmered in water.

I have been able to find both of these ingredients in markets specializing in Japanese ingredients and larger grocery stores. You can make your own dashi or use instant dashi granules.

Mirin is a sweet Japanese cooking rice wine. I use hon-mirin (true mirin) in recipes calling for mirin. I have been able to find it in Asian food markets and Whole Foods. Many grocery stores have aji-mirin, but be sure to check the ingredient list for additives. Other types of mirin are shio-mirin (includes salt) and shin-mirin (very little alcohol).

Looking for more Japanese noodle recipes?

Try my:

• Hiyashi Tanuki Udon (Japanese Chilled Tanuki Udon)
• Yaki Udon (Japanese Stir-Fried Udon Noodles)
• Chikara Udon (Japanese Power Udon)

This recipe was originally posted in December 2012 and updated in October 2018.

Kurumi Soba (Soba with Walnut Dipping Sauce) Recipe

Adapted from Japanese Farm Food

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Kurumi Soba (Soba with Walnut Dipping Sauce)

A recipe for Kurumi Soba (Soba with Walnut Dipping Sauce)! Refreshing Japanese chilled soba noodles paired with a walnut dipping sauce and thinly sliced green onions.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword Japan, Japanese, kurumi soba, noodle, soba, walnut

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

Mori Tsuyu:

• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) mirin
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) soy sauce
• 1 1/3 cups (315 milliliters) dashi

Soba:

• 1 pound (450 grams) dried soba noodles
• 1/2 cup (60 grams) walnuts
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

Instructions

To make the Mori Tsuyu:

• In a small saucepan, simmer the mirin over high heat, whisking constantly, for 3-5 minutes until the alcohol smell disappears.
• Whisk in the sugar until dissolved and then the soy sauce. Remove from heat. 
• Mix 6 tablespoons (90 milliliters) of this mixture into the dashi. Set aside the remaining and store in the refrigerator for up to a year.

To assemble the soba:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Add the soba and cook until just tender, 4-5 minutes.
• Drain and place in a large bowl filled with ice water. Swirl the noodles, drain, rinse, and divide among serving plates.
• Grind the walnuts in a small food processor or mortar and pestle until just powdery.
• Place the powdered walnuts and thinly sliced green onions in small bowls next to the mori tsuyu (dipping sauce). Season the dipping sauce with desired amounts of walnuts and green onions.
• Dip each bite of soba noodles into the sauce before eating.