This steamy bowl of Soba Noodle Soup will bring you extra comfort on cold days! Topped it with crispy shrimp tempura, kamaboko fish cake, and sliced scallion. It‘s ready in about 30 minutes from start to finish.
Soba noodles in a tasty dashi broth paired with various toppings are one of the best things to eat when you are in the mood for hot noodle soup. Today, we’ll learn how to make an authentic bowl of Japanese Soba Noodle Soup (温かいお蕎麦) at home and will go over the various topping options such as crispy shrimp tempura, fish cake, and some vegan-friendly ingredients.
What is Authentic Soba Noodle Soup
While you can find many variations of soba noodle soups in Japan, tempura soba is one of the popular ways to enjoy the simplicity of buckwheat noodles.
When cooked soba noodle is served with a hot warm soup at its simplest, it is known as kake soba (かけそば).
Kake soba is usually topped with minimal garnishes such as chopped scallions or wakame seaweed. It is basically used as a broad term for any simple hot soba noodle soup.
What Are Soba Noodles (Buckwheat Noodles)
Soba noodle is commonly referred to as a type of thin noodles made from buckwheat flour, or a combination of buckwheat and wheat flour. You can learn more about this type of noodle on my soba pantry page.
In general, soba noodles are pretty much available at any Asian and mainstream grocery store in the US. Typically sold dried in bundles in packages, you can also find fresh soba in the refrigerated or freezer sections at Japanese or Asian grocery stores.
I often stock up some dried soba noodles in my pantry so I can make soba soup like this anytime.
2 Ways to Make Soba Broth
There are two ways to make delicious soba broth. My recipe card below shows you both options.
- Make the Soba Broth from Scratch: Make Awase Dashi (made with kombu and bonito flakes) or Vegan Dashi made with kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms. Then, season the dashi with soy sauce, sake, and mirin.
- Make the Soba Broth with Concentrated Mentsuyu: Use the convenient bottle of mentsuyu, the Japanese soup base used in soba and udon noodle dishes. You just need to dilute it with hot water to make a soup broth.
When the nutty buckwheat noodles immerse in the delicious hot broth, you’d get a bowl of noodle soup that is light, yet does not lack umami complexity. It’s perfect for everyday dinner.
8 Popular Soba Toppings
As I mentioned earlier, the simple soba noodles soup is called Kake Soba (かけそば). It’s simply composed of cooked soba noodles in a soba broth, optionally with chopped green onion and wakame seaweed.
The kake soba or plain soba noodle soup is like a blank canvas. You can put different kinds of toppings to enjoy layers of flavors. Here are the top 8 popular toppings for soba noodle soup in Japan.
1. Tempura
In Japan, tempura soba can be served with different ingredients such as sweet potato, eggplant, chikuwa fish cake, and shiitake mushrooms, but shrimp tempura is certainly the most classic choice.
At soba noodle shops, the chefs would fry up fantastically fresh tempura and serve it straight with the soba noodle soup. Everything is hot and fresh! It’s truly the best of both worlds.
If you’re up for it, you can follow my Tempura recipe and make it from scratch at home. If you’re vegetarian, my favorite is eggplant tempura and Japanese sweet potato tempura!
For a quick weeknight dinner, you can use frozen shrimp tempura as I used in this recipe. You can find packaged frozen tempura in the freezer section at Japanese/Asian grocery stores, or regular grocery stores like Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Costco, etc.
📝 In Japan, you can find Tempura Soba (天ぷらそば) on the menu at a soba noodle shop. Tempura is typically served on a separate dish along with a bowl of soba noodle soup.
2. Kamaboko Fish Cake
Among many fish cakes available in Japan, the two most popular ones that are often used in noodle soup are kamaboko (かまぼこ) and narutomaki (なると巻).
Kamaboko fish cakes are more commonly used for soba noodle soup while narutomaki fish cakes are found on ramen and udon noodle soup.
3. Satsumaage
Satsuma-age (さつま揚げ, 薩摩揚げ) is a type of fried fish cake originating from Kagoshima, Japan. It was originally from Chinese cuisine and then brought over to Okinawa and Kyushu regions.
Surimi (fish paste) and flour are mixed to make a compact paste that is solidified through deep-frying, which is why you see the brown skin on the outside and white skin on the inside.
Satsuma-age often includes seafood (squid and octopus) or chopped vegetables such as gobo (burdock root), lotus root, carrot, and edamame.
You can purchase different kinds of packaged satsuma-age at Japanese or Asian grocery stores.
4. Onsen Tamago (or Raw Egg)
These slow-cooked eggs called Onsen Tamago are perfect on top of the soba noodle soup!
Eggs raised and produced in Japan are safe to eat raw, and many people enjoy the hot soba noodle with the raw egg on top (but please do not try it outside of Japan).
5. Inari Age (Seasoned Fried Tofu) (Vegan)
It’s always my favorite topping for udon and soba noodle soup as it gives a sweet taste and the tofu absorbs the delicious broth.
📝 In Japan, you can find Kitsune Soba (きつね蕎麦) on the menu at a soba noodle shop. Typically, the fried tofu is a large piece, about twice the size you make at home.
6. Blanched Leafy Greens and Fresh Garnish (Vegan)
- Blanched spinach
- Blanched komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach)
- Chopped green onions
- Chopped mitsuba (Japanese parsley)
- Feel free to be creative with what you have in your fridge!
7. Different Types of Seaweed (Vegan)
Different types of seaweed are a popular topping for soba noodle soups! Here, we have tororo kombu (とろろ昆布).
Tororo kombu is made of dried kelp and vinegar. It has a slightly tangy flavor and a gooey and slimy texture when soaked in the broth. It gives unique texture and flavor to the soup.
Another popular seaweed topping is wakame seaweed. Rehydrate dried wakame seaweed in the water.
Don’t add the seaweed directly to the noodle soup. Dried wakame seaweed releases some salt, and you don’t want to make your noodle soup salty. When rehydrated, drain well and add on top of the noodle soup.
You can also put shredded nori seaweed on top of the soba noodle soup as a garnish.
8. Grated Nagaimo (Vegan)
A slightly slimy, mild-flavored mountain yam called nagaimo (mountain yam) is a popular topping for soba noodle soup.
The slippery, “neba neba” texture of the yam is what people are after. People usually love it or dislike it.
📝 In Japan, you can find Tororo Soba (とろろ蕎麦) on the menu at a soba noodle shop. Tororo Soba is often accompanied by a raw quail/chicken egg placed on top of the grated yam.
9. Tempura Scraps (Tenkasu, Agedama) (Vegan)
Tenkasu or agedama are crunchy tempura scraps of deep-fried batter. They are used in Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki, and udon/soba noodle soups. They have a nice crunch and add a depth of flavor to the broth.
And More!
- Mochi (Kiri Mochi)—Check out the udon version called Chikara Udon!
- Umeboshi (pickled plums)
- Sudachi (Japanese citrus)
- Pan-fried/grilled meat (duck, chicken, beef, and pork)
Vegan-Friendly Toppings
- Tofu (pan-fried tofu, crispy tofu puffs)
- Stir-fried mushrooms
- Pan-fried or roasted veggies
How To Make a Classic Soba Noodle Soup
For this recipe post, I will share a classic soba noodle soup with shrimp tempura, kamaboko fish cake, komatsuna, and green onions (see the picture above).
If you are vegan, please omit shrimp tempura and fish cake, and use vegan-friendly toppings of your choice I mentioned earlier. I will explain in detail how to make this soba noodle soup with vegan options in the recipe card below.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Soba Noodles (buckwheat noodles)
- Soba Broth: kombu (dried kelp), katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes; optional), sake, mirin, and soy sauce. Alternatively, you can use mentsuyu (noodle soup base) to quickly make the soup.
- Optional Toppings: shrimp tempura, scallion, blanched spinach or komatsuna, kamaboko fish cake, wakame seaweed… so many possibilities.
Overview: Cooking Steps
- Prepare the soba broth by making the dashi and then adding the seasonings. If you have a bottle of mentsuyu (noodle soup base), dilute it with water to make the soba broth.
- Prepare the toppings.
- Cook the soba noodles.
- Serve the soba noodles and the broth in the donburi bowl and add the toppings on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m vegan. Can I still enjoy soba noodle soup?
Of course! Soba noodles are vegan-friendly, so you will only need to adjust the soup broth. Unfortunately, the quick and easy method of using a store-bought bottle of mentsuyu (noodle soup base) doesn’t work as it contains katsuobushi (dried bonito).
However, you can easily make Vegan Dashi from scratch by soaking the kombu and dried shiitake in water or simply omit adding katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) from the recipe shown below.
I’m gluten-free. Is soba 100% buckwheat?
Many brands of soba noodles that are available outside of Japan contain wheat and are NOT made with 100% buckwheat flour.
For those who are gluten-free, search for soba noodles that are called Juwari Soba (十割蕎麦, 十割そば). These are 100% buckwheat noodles. The texture of the noodles is less springy and dense, yet it has a more buckwheat flavor.
Other Popular Soba Noodle Recipes You’ll Love
- Toshikoshi Soba (Japanese New Year’s Eve Noodles)
- Zaru Soba (Cold Soba Noodle)
- Oroshi Soba
- Okinawa Soba
- Soba Noodle Salad
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Soba Noodle Soup
Video
Ingredients
For the Soba Broth (from scratch)
- 3 cups water
- 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) (10 g, 4 x 4 inches, 10 x 10 cm per piece)
- 1 cup katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (skip for vegetarian/vegan and use Vegan Dashi instead)
- 1 Tbsp sake
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
For the Toppings (optional)
- 2 pieces frozen shrimp tempura (skip for vegetarian/vegan)
- 4 slices kamaboko (fish cake) (skip for vegetarian/vegan)
- 1 green onion/scallion (or use the white part of Tokyo negi)
- 2 oz komatsuna (small bunch; or use spinach)
- shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) (for a spicy kick)
For the Noodles
For the Quick Soba Broth (with concentrated mentsuyu; optional)
- 2⅓ cups water
- ⅓ cup mentsuyu (concentrated noodle soup base) (use the dilution ratio indicated on your mentsuyu bottle; I use a 1:7 ratio for noodle broth)
- 1 Tbsp mirin
Instructions
To Make the Soba Broth from Scratch (without mentsuyu)
- Soak 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) in 3 cups water overnight (optional, if you have time). Otherwise, soak the kombu for at least 30 minutes.
- Transfer the kombu and water into a saucepan. Bring the water to a boil. When it’s almost boiling, remove the kombu from the water and reserve it for another use (see below*). If you‘re vegan or vegetarian, this kombu dashi is your soup base, so skip the next step.
- Add 1 cup katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) and simmer for 30 seconds. Then turn off the heat and let the katsuobushi sink to the bottom of the pot. Let the katsuobushi steep for about 10 minutes.
- Strain the liquid in a fine-mesh sieve over another saucepan (I also placed a paper towel in the bottom of the sieve beforehand to help gather the bonito flakes). Gently twist and squeeze the paper towel to release any remaining dashi into the saucepan. Reserve the katsuobushi for another use (see below*). Now you have awase dashi.
- Add 1 Tbsp sake, 2 Tbsp mirin, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt to the dashi and bring the broth to a simmer. Cover with the lid to keep hot and set aside.
- *Use the spent kombu and katsuobushi to make Homemade Furikake Rice Seasoning. You can also save the drained katsuobushi and kombu in the freezer until you‘re ready to make the furikake.
To Prepare the Toppings
- Please note that there is a variety of topping options (including vegan) available for Soba Noodle Soup. Read more about other choices in the blog post.
- Bake 2 pieces frozen shrimp tempura, flipping halfway through, at 400ºF (200ºC) for 20 minutes, or according to the package instructions.
- Insert a knife at the bottom of 4 slices kamaboko (fish cake) to separate it from the wooden board. Then cut the kamaboko into ¼-inch slices.
- Slice 1 green onion/scallion thinly and cut 2 oz komatsuna into 2-inch pieces.
- Boil the komatsuna in salted water. I first boil the hard stems of the komatsuna since they take longer to cook. Then, I add the leafy green parts later. Once they are tender, take the komatsuna out and soak in ice water to stop the cooking. Drain well.
To Cook the Soba Noodles
- Meanwhile, reheat the soup broth on low heat and boil two large pots of water—one for cooking the soba noodles and the other for warming up the noodles after rinsing them (the second is optional; see my shortcut below). Unlike pasta, you do not need to add salt to the cooking water. Once the water in the first pot is boiling, cook 7 oz dried soba noodles (buckwheat noodles) for 30 seconds less than the package instructions. Mine says to cook for 4 minutes, so I cook for 3 minutes and 30 seconds.
- Drain the soba noodles in a colander and rinse them with your hand under cold running water to get rid of the starch. Next, warm up the noodles again. My Shortcut Way: Switching to hot running water, quickly rinse the noodles in the colander to warm them up. Shake and drain completely. Transfer the warmed noodles to individual bowls.
- The Traditional Way: After rinsing the soba noodles under cold running water, drain and transfer them to the second pot of boiling water for just 5–8 seconds to quickly warm them up. Then, drain and transfer the warmed noodles to individual bowls.
To Assemble
- Pour the piping-hot soba broth over the noodles and garnish with the toppings of your choice. Sprinkle shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) on top if you like it spicy. Serve immediately.
To Store
- You can keep the leftover soup, noodles, and toppings separately in airtight containers and store in the refrigerator for 2 days.
To Make the Quick Soba Broth (with Concentrated Mentsuyu; Optional)
- Follow your mentsuyu (noodle soup base) bottle instructions for the correct dilution ratio for soba broth. I use a dilution ratio of 1 to 7 for kaketsuyu (noodle broth).
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on December 30, 2014. The post has been updated with new content and images in April 2022.
[…] Soba Noodle Soup 温かいお蕎麦 […]
i love japanese food thank you so nice
Hi Nguyen! Thank you very much for your kind feedback!
We hope you enjoy many recipes from our website. Happy Cooking!🙂
If you’re using metsuyu,
do you still need to soak/boil the kombu?
Hi Amy! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe!
The Mentsuyu already has flavor and Umami in it so that you can skip the process.🙂
It was delicious my entire family loved the soup. I still cant figure out what type of kombu I was using and I had to sub out a couple ingredients being in Atlanta. Overall it was an amazing recipe and the instructions were clear and easy to follow, Thanks!
Hi Chris! So happy to hear that your family enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for your kind feedback. 🙂
How do I make this vegetarian? Can I replace the soup base with shiitake dashi? Thanks 🙂
Hi Ju! I’d use Kombu Dashi. If you really want to use shiitake dashi, you can add some part of it but not the entire shiitake dashi as it’s too strong. 🙂
Thank Nami 🙂 so do i still keep the same amount of kombu in this recipe? 1 piece of 4″ x 3″ or should i add more to replace the bonito flakes. thanks! 🙂
Hi Ju! Yes, use the same amount. It should be enough, but you can add more if you feel it’s not enough next time. 🙂
Hi Nami, thank you for this recipe. If we would like to make the dashi by just using a dashi packet (instead of making homemade dashi), then would we still add the mirin, sake, soy sauce, and salt after simmering and then removing the dashi packet?
Thank you!
Hi Sarah! Yes, I would make dashi first before adding condiments. 🙂
[…] Besides being a standalone dish, shrimp tempura is also served as part of donburi (Tendon 天丼) or noodle soup (Tempura Soba/udon). […]
[…] Soba Noodle Soup – For a complete gluten-free version, you can top it with gluten-free tempura or keep it simple with greens and a soft-boiled egg. […]
Nami Sensei! If I want to make this today, how long should I let the kombu soak? What is the shortest amount of time???
Arigato gozaimasu!
K
Hi Kristin! Sorry for my late response. I had a crazy busy week and failed to respond in time. I’m sorry. Step 1 is optional, so you can just do Step 2. Use a low heat to slowly bring the water to boil, so you can get maximum flavor out of kombu. 🙂
I spent a couple of weeks in Japan and found a very small place to eat lunch. I had
what they call ed yokasoba soup. Im sure I am not spelling it correctly. I have tried
several soups by that name but they were not at all like that in Japan. Do you have a recioe for the real soup.
Hi Bob! Thanks for writing! Hmmm… the name you wrote does not make sense, so I tried to understand what it could be…
Ed – is it Edo (like it means old Tokyo)?
Yokasoba – is it Yakisoba (but that is not a soup, it’s stir fried noodles – https://www.justonecookbook.com/yakisoba/).
I was searching in Japanese to see a similar word for soba menus, but I couldn’t find that sounds similar to Ed Yokasoba…. Could you describe what’s in there besides soba and soup broth?
Some people eat Black Eyed peas on New Year’s Day here in the South.
Hi Christina! Yes, I learned about it from JOC readers a few years ago. I’d love to visit the South one day and try the food there! 🙂
Great recipe and the cultural lesson about eating soba on New Year’s Eve was also very interesting.
Hi Mike! Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed reading this post. 🙂
Hi Nami! I have finally acquired most of the ingredients needed to make this truly delicious looking soup. I only need to get some mirin and the king prawns. We have a very rainy week here in Slovenia, so I’m looking forward to warming my family up with the broth! ? I’ll be making this for 4-5 people, but it’s my first time making something like this, so I’ll use some help from my obaachan ☺️ I was just wondering though, are the dishes using sake and mirin suitable for children? I know that some alcohol would evaporate, but I don’t know this recipe well, so I wouldn’t mind some guidance ?
Hi Greg! Japanese don’t particularly worry about mirin and sake especially when it’s cooked (I read somewhere that it evaporate very quickly once it’s cooked and said even after opening the bottle, basically saying not to worry). However, if you’re worried, at step 4, you can first put sake and mirin in a small pot and let them evaporate for a longer time. Then add it to dashi. That way, you can make sure to evaporate alcohol. 🙂 Hope this helps!
Hope this dish will warm up everyone! 🙂
HELLO NAMI
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AND YOURS.
HERE IN SPAIN THE TRADITION IS TO EAT 12 GRAPES AT MIDNIGHT ONE FOR EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR TO BRING LUCK. I HOPE I CAN FIND ALL THE INGREDIENTS HERE IN SPAIN
THANK YOU
Happy New Year Margaret! It’s interesting and fascinating! Thank you so much for sharing the tradition in Spain! I appreciate your kind words and support. 🙂 I know, I wish a lot of Japanese ingredients are available in Spain…
I just discovered your blog recently and have begun trying your great recipes. I grew up in NYC eating at the many great Japanese restaurants in the East Village and now I’m thrilled to try making the food at home!
My question is about the kamaboko. It is sold frozen. I cut it like you suggested without any problems. But I noticed you didn’t cook it in the broth. How should I properly prepare frozen kamaboko?
Hi YC! I’m happy to hear you started to cook Japanese food at home! 🙂 I wish Kamaboko is not always sold frozen here (In Japan, it’s always in refrigerated section only. Kamaboko stores would claim that the quality will go down, but I guess we are lucky we can still get kamaboko here even it’s frozen. Kamaboko is already processed so you can eat it without cooking. It’s enjoyed in both non-cooked and cooked. You will need to defrost it one day before and have to use it in less than a week. Hope this helps!