Cold Sesame Soba Noodles with Shitake, Soy, and Jammy Eggs
A great meal for hot days or filling up your bento box (or any other lunch box), these cold soba noodles with shitake mushrooms, marinated tofu, and steamed jammy eggs are dressed with a simple sesame-soy dressing.
Equipment
- pasta pot with strainer
- steamer basket or insert
Ingredients
- 2 bundles buckwheat soba noodles 8 oz
- 4 large eggs
- 8 oz extra firm silken tofu can sub firm regular tofu or tofu puffs
Sesame-Soy Dressing
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp mirin or rice wine
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp sugar (white, turbinado, or coconut)
- ⅛-¼ tsp Sichuan peppercorns, ground
- ⅛-¼ tsp Sichuan ground red pepper flakes substitute fine ground red chili flakes
Shitake Mushrooms
- ½ cup dried shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- ⅔ cup boiling hot water
- 2 tbsp soy sauce add to rehydrating mushrooms
Garnish
- 2 tbsp cilantro or shiso leaves (optional)
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds or furikake (optional)
Instructions
- Slice the dried shiitake mushrooms (if you are starting with whole ones) and place them in a mason jar or other heatproof container. Thicker slices will be chewier but take longer to rehydrate... I aim for ¼" slices. It's ok if they're not perfect but they'll rehydrate more evenly if they're roughly uniform in size. Pour the boiling water over them (just enough to cover) and add the soy sauce.
- Cover the container to retain heat and let sit at least ten minutes to rehydrate while you prepare the noodles and dressing. If the liquid cools completely and the mushrooms are still too chewy, you can microwave for 30 seconds or just long enough to reheat the liquid. You can do this step in advance and hold the mushrooms in the fridge for several days.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients (or shake in a quart mason jar). Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
- Slice the tofu into bite-sized cubes. Pour ½-⅔'s of the dressing over the tofu (or add the tofu to the mixing bowl), and let it marinate while you prepare the noodles. You can do this in advance if you like. Add the shiitake mushrooms once they have rehydrated and cooled and stir gently to distribute marinade.
- Fill a large pot with water with room to boil (ideally a pasta pot with a strainer insert for the pasta and a steamer basket for the eggs). If you don't have a steamer basket and are using a steamer insert for your eggs, put several inches of water in your steamer pot as well.
- Wash the eggs in warm water, and place them in a steamer basket over the pasta water. Bring the water up to a boil, and steam the eggs for 7-9 minutes (less for more jammy eggs, more for more done) and then immediately shock the eggs with cold running water to stop the cooking. Gently crack and peel the eggs while cooking your noodles (some cold running water can help if they're still hot or the peels are sticking).
- Have a timer ready before cooking your soba noodles. Consult your soba noodle packaging for exact timing, as noodles vary in cook time (anywhere from 3-10 minutes, with 4-5 being most common). If your pasta has a longer cook time, you can cook it while your eggs are steaming, otherwise start the pasta while you are cooling and peeling the eggs.
- Drop your noodles in the pot of boiling water, stir them gently into the water, and start your timer. Test a noodle for doneness at the lower end of the cook time and drain when they are cooked through but not mushy.
- Drain your noodles, and rinse or wash them well. This is the secret to soba noodles that aren't sticky or gluey! You need to rinse away all the excess starch from the cooking water. Some people submerge them into two different cool water baths to be sure. Stir the noodles with clean hands or a pasta rake to make sure all the noodles get rinsed, then drain well.
- In a large bowl, toss the rinsed noodles with the reserved dressing. Distribute the noodles among serving bowls (or meal prep containers) and top with the marinated tofu and shiitake mushrooms.
- Slice the peeled eggs in half and place two halves in each serving, and garnish with cilantro or shiso leaves and sesame seeds or furikake seasoning, if desired. Serve immediately or cover and chill for up to three days.
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