How To Make Mentsuyu (Noodle Soup Base)
If you have a bottle of mentsuyu, just use it following the package instruction.
However, if you want to make it from scratch, please refer to the recipe below!
Ingredients (for 1 serving)
・0.8 cup (200ml) Dashi soup stock (Kombu/Bonito/Shiitake)
・1.5 tbsp (25ml) Soy sauce
・1.5 tbsp (25ml) Mirin
・1.5 tsp Sugar
Direction
1. Put all of ingredient in a pot. Stir well, and boil for about 1 minute.*
*Please add about 0.5 cup (120ml) water to this mentsuyu (soup base) when eating noodles.
1. Soba with Prawn (Shrimp) Tempura
Ingredients (for 1 serving)
・2.6 oz (75g) Soba (Buckwheat noodles)
・1 cup (250ml) Mentsuyu (noodle soup base)
・0.5 cup (120ml) Water
・2 Prawn
・1 tbsp Flour
Tempura batter
・1.7 oz (50g) Flour
・0.3 cup (70ml) Cold water
・1/2 Beaten egg
・Minced green onion
・Slices of kamaboko (boiled fish paste)
Direction
1. If your prawn is frozen, prepare 3% salinity water (100ml water and 3g salt). Then, soak the frozen prawn in it. Wait for 30min-1hour.
2. Devein prawn (use paring knife to make shallow cut along back of prawn), and peel the shell. Please leave tail intact. Cut the tip of the prawn’s tail, and remove water. Make 3 cuts in the prawn belly. Push from the back to straighten the prawn. (Please see the YouTube video for the details.)
3. Make tempura batter by mixing beaten egg, cold water, and flour. Prepare oil for deep-frying. Heat the oil to 170 degrees.
4. Coat the prawn with extra flour, and dip it in batter. Deep-fry the prawn until crisp.
5. Cook soba noodles with boiling water, and drain the water.
6. Mix noodle soup base and water, and heat up in a pot. Dish up soba with hot soup, and put tempura, green onion, and kamaboko. Please change the topping as you like.
Ready to eat!
2. Soba with Deep-fried Tofu (Kitsune Soba)
Ingredients (for 1 serving)
・2.6 oz (75g) Soba (Buckwheat noodles)
・1 cup (250ml) Mentsuyu (noodle soup base)
・0.5 cup (120ml) Water
Kitsune
・1 sheet of Thin deep-fried tofu
・0.4 cup (100ml) Dashi soup stock
・1 tbsp Sugar
・1 tbsp Sake
・1/2 tbsp Soy sauce
・1/2 tbsp Mirin
・Minced green onion
・Slices of kamaboko (boiled fish paste)
Direction
1. Cut thin fried tofu into 2 triangle. Soak it in boiling water so the seasonings can soak well.
2. Put dashi, sugar, sake, soy sauce, and mirin in a pot. When it’s boiled, put the fried tofu in it. Drop a piece of aluminum foil directly on the them to cover it entirely. Boil until the soup is gone.
3. Cook soba noodles with boiling water, and drain the water.
4. Dish up soba with hot soup, and put tempura, green onion, and kamaboko. Please change the topping as you like.
Ready to eat!
3. Soba with Egg and Tempura Crisps
Ingredients (for 1 serving)
・2.6 oz (75g) Soba (Buckwheat noodles)
・1 cup (250ml) Mentsuyu (noodle soup base)
・0.5 cup (120ml) Water
・1 Egg
・2 tbsp Tempura crisps (tenkasu)
・2 tsp Dried wakame seaweed
・1 oz (30g) Spinach or Komatsuna
・Minced green onion
・Slices of naruto (boiled fish paste)
Direction
1. Cut spinach into bite-sized. Boil it for 2-3 minutes. Squeeze the water well.
2. Soak the seaweed in hot water, and drain the water.
3. Cook soba noodles with boiling water, and drain the water.
4. Dish up soba with hot soup, and put raw egg, wakame seaweed, tempura crisps, spinach, green onion, and naruto. Please change the topping as you like.
Ready to eat!
4. Soba Salad (Buckwheat Noodle Salad)
Ingredients (for 1 serving)
・2.6 oz (75g) Soba (Buckwheat noodles)
・1.5 tbsp Peanut butter*
・1.5 tsp Soy sauce
・1.5 tsp Vinegar
・1.5 tsp Sesame oil
・1.5 tsp Honey
・1 tsp Lemon juice
・1 oz (30g) Cucumber
・1 oz (30g) Tomato
・1 oz (30g) Cabbage
・1 Boiled egg
・Lettuce leaf
*If non sugar peanut butter, please add more honey as needed.
Direction
1. Shred cucumber and cabbage. Cut tomato into-bite-sized.
2. Mix all of the seasonings in a bowl to make dressing for soba.
3. Cook soba noodles with boiling water, and drain the water.
4. Mix soba with the dressing and shredded vegetables.
5. Dish up on the plate. Put tomato, lettuce, and boiled egg on top.
Ready to eat!
