A bowl of soba noodle soup topped with sliced kamaboko, chopped green onions, seaweed, and a sprinkle of spices. Chopsticks and a dish of extra green onions are beside the bowl on a wooden table.

Recipe Highlights

As the year comes to a close, many Japanese families enjoy the tradition of Toshikoshi Soba (年越しそば), or year-crossing noodles. This custom involves sitting down to a bowl of humble noodle soup before the stroke of midnight. This last meal of the year is light, soothing, deeply meaningful, and a quiet moment of reflection before welcoming what comes next.

  • Deeply symbolic and comforting – Long soba noodles represent resilience, good luck, and a wish for a long, peaceful life.
  • Simple yet satisfying – A delicate dashi broth and buckwheat noodles come together with just a few toppings.
  • Easy to make – With basic ingredients and a short prep time, anyone can enjoy this tradition at home during this most important time of year.

If you enjoy Japanese noodle dishes, try my Udon Noodle Soup, Curry Udon, and Soba Noodle Soup with tempura next.

A bowl of soba noodle soup topped with sliced fish cake, seaweed, chopped green onions, and seasoning, with chopsticks and a blue napkin beside it on a wooden table.

What is Toshikoshi Soba?

Toshikoshi soba is the tradition of eating Japanese soba noodle soup on New Year’s Eve (Ōmisoka, 大晦日). Like many New Year customs in Japan, it focuses on renewal and fresh beginnings. The long, thin buckwheat noodles symbolize strength, endurance, and longevity, while their easy texture represents letting go of the past year’s hardships. This tradition dates back to the mid–late 1700s, when everyday customs became closely tied to wishes for good fortune.

A bowl of soba noodle soup topped with green onions, seaweed, and three slices of pink and white fish cake, served in a blue and white patterned bowl.
A bowl of soba noodles in broth, topped with sliced fish cake, green onions, and seaweed, sits on a wooden table with chopsticks and a small dish of chopped scallions nearby.

Ingredients for Toshikoshi Soba

You can enjoy any type of soba noodle soup for toshikoshi soba. For my version, I keep things simple with easy, no-fuss toppings:

  • dried soba noodles
  • kamaboko (fish cake)
  • dried wakame seaweed
  • green onion or scallion
  • water
  • for soba broth:
    • dashi (Japanese soup stock): kombu (dried kelp) and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
    • seasonings: sake, mirin, soy sauce, and kosher salt
  • shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) – optional

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

Jump to Recipe

How to Make Toshikoshi Soba

  1. Make the dashi. Slowly heat water in a pot with kombu, remove before boiling, then steep the bonito flakes and strain.
Chopsticks hold pieces of kombu (seaweed) in a pot of water on a stovetop, as part of preparing Japanese dashi broth for toshikoshi soba.
Hot broth is being poured from a pot through a fine mesh strainer into a glass measuring cup, separating solids from the liquid on a kitchen countertop.
  1. Season the broth. Add sake, mirin, soy sauce, and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then set aside.
  1. Prepare the toppings. Rehydrate the wakame, slice the green onion, and cut the kamaboko.
Two hands hold bowls of mirin and soy sauce above a pot, ready to pour the flavorful ingredients into toshikoshi soba simmering on the stovetop.
Close-up of a small metal saucepan containing a translucent amber-colored liquid, likely a type of broth or sauce, sitting on a stove.
  1. Cook the noodles. Boil the soba noodles according to the package instructions, then drain and rinse under cold water.
  1. Assemble and serve. Divide the noodles into bowls, pour over the hot dashi broth, and add the toppings.
A pot of boiling water with uncooked spaghetti partially submerged, with some noodles still sticking out above the water. The pot is on a stovetop.
A bowl of Japanese soba noodle soup topped with sliced green onions, wakame seaweed, and fish cake, with chopsticks lifting noodles from the broth.
Namiko Hirasawa Chen

Nami’s Recipe Tips

These simple tips will help you make a delicious toshikoshi soba recipe every time.

  • Use good dashi. This soup (tsuyu) is very simple, so the flavor of the dashi stock really matters. Kombu and katsuobushi create a broth that tastes light but deeply savory.
  • Do not salt the cooking water. Soba noodles are cooked in plain water, not salted like pasta water.
  • Rinse the noodles well. Washing off the starch keeps the broth clear and clean-tasting.
  • Keep the toppings simple. This dish is traditionally minimalist!
  • Vegan option. Use kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms to make vegan dashi, and skip the fish cake.
A bowl of soba noodle soup topped with sliced fish cake, green onions, seaweed, and seasoning, placed on a wooden table with chopsticks and a blue napkin nearby.

Variations and Customizations

Looking to change things up? Try these easy and tasty ideas!

  • Vegan or vegetarian. Make Vegan Dashi and use tofu or mushrooms as toppings.
  • Shortcut broth. Use store-bought mentsuyu diluted with water for a quick version.
Mentsuyu / Tsuyu (Japanese Noodle Soup Base) | Easy Japanese Recipes at JustOneCookbook.com
Mentsuyu / Tsuyu (Japanese Noodle Soup Base) | Easy Japanese Recipes at JustOneCookbook.com
A basket containing assorted vegetable tempura.
A plate containing Onsen Tamago (Japanese hot spring egg) made with a microwave.

Storage and Reheating Tips

To store: Keep the broth and noodles separate in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

To reheat: Warm the broth gently on the stove. Cook noodles just before serving for the best texture.

FAQs

When do you eat toshikoshi soba?

Toshikoshi soba is eaten on New Year’s Eve, usually in the evening or just before midnight on December 31st as a way to close out the year.

Can I make toshikoshi soba ahead of time?

You can prepare the broth and toppings ahead, but it is best to cook the soba noodles right before serving.

Why are soba noodles used instead of other noodles?

Noodles made with buckwheat flour symbolize resilience and strength, and they are easy to cut, which represents letting go of the past year.

Can I eat toshikoshi soba after New Year’s Eve?

Traditionally, we eat it before New Year’s Day, but enjoying it later is perfectly fine. We eat hot soba noodle soup all year around.

I’d love to hear how yours turned out! 💛 Please leave a star rating and comment below to share your experience. Your feedback not only supports Just One Cookbook but also helps other home cooks discover recipes they can trust.

A bowl of soba noodle soup topped with sliced fish cake, seaweed, chopped green onions, and seasoning, with chopsticks and a blue napkin beside it on a wooden table.
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4.63 from 119 votes

Toshikoshi Soba (New Year’s Eve Soba Noodle Soup)

by Namiko Hirasawa Chen
Cross over into the New Year with the Japanese tradition of eating a piping hot bowl of soba noodle soup called Toshikoshi Soba. This simple Japanese noodle dish will melt away the hardship of the past year and welcome the new journey ahead!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients 
 

For the Soba Broth (from scratch)

For the Quick Soba Broth (optional, using concentrated mentsuyu)

Instructions

Before You Start

  • Gather all the ingredients. Optional: For the best dashi flavor, soak 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) in 3 cups water overnight to make cold brew kombu dashi. If you don’t have time, start soaking the kombu as soon as you can.
    Overhead view of ingredients for a recipe, including water, sauces, dried seaweed, bonito flakes, and measuring cups on a wooden surface. On the right, kombu is soaking in water in a glass measuring cup.
  • When you're ready to prepare this dish, start bringing a big pot of water to a boil for the soba noodles.

To Make the Soba Broth (from scratch)

  • Add 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) and 3 cups water (or the cold-brew dashi with the kombu) to a medium saucepan. Slowly bring it to a boil over medium-low heat to extract the most flavor from the kombu. When it's close to boiling, remove the kombu.
    Nami's Tip: You can use the spent kombu to make furikake rice seasoning.
    Two-panel image: On the left, water is being poured over kombu (dried seaweed) in a pot. On the right, kombu is soaking in the water as someone stirs with chopsticks.
  • Add 1 cup katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) and simmer for 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and let the katsuobushi sink to the bottom of the saucepan. Let it steep for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the toppings.
    A hand pours dried bonito flakes into a pot of simmering water, then the flakes are shown steeping in the hot liquid.
  • Strain the dashi through a sieve into a measuring cup (or bowl), then put the dashi back into the saucepan.
    Nami's Tip: Discard the spent katsuobushi or use it to make furikake rice seasoning.
    Two images: On the left, brown broth is poured through a fine strainer into a measuring cup. On the right, clear yellow broth is poured from a measuring cup into a pot.
  • Add 1 Tbsp sake, 2 Tbsp mirin, 2 Tbsp usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce (or regular soy sauce), and ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Bring it to a simmer. Once boiling, remove from the heat, cover, and set aside.
    Two side-by-side images: on the left, hands hold two small bowls of light and dark liquids above a saucepan; on the right, the saucepan is filled with a combined amber-colored liquid.

To Prepare the Toppings

  • Rehydrate 2 Tbsp dried wakame seaweed in 1 cup water. Then, squeeze the water out and set aside. Thinly slice 1 green onion/scallion.
    Three-step cooking process: soaking dried seaweed in water, squeezing soaked seaweed with a hand over a strainer, and finely chopping green onions with a knife on a cutting board.
  • Slide a knife under the kamaboko to detach it from the wooden board. Thinly cut 4 slices kamaboko (fish cake).
    Close-up of hands slicing a pink and white cylindrical food item on a wooden cutting board with a large knife.

To Cook the Soba Noodles

  • In the pot of boiling water, cook 7 oz dried soba noodles (buckwheat noodles) according to the package instructions. You do not need to salt the water.
    Side-by-side images: Left, dry noodles are placed in a pot of boiling water; right, noodles are being stirred in the boiling water with chopsticks.
  • Drain the soba noodles through a sieve and rinse them with your hands under cold water to get rid of the starch. Shake off the excess water and transfer to individual bowls.
    Left: Cooked soba noodles draining in a white colander. Right: A hand mixing or separating soba noodles in a bowl on a wooden surface.

To Serve

  • Pour the hot soup broth over the noodles. Top with kamaboko, wakame seaweed, and green onions. Sprinkle shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice), if you‘d like. Serve immediately and enjoy.
    A split image: on the left, broth is being poured over soba noodles in a bowl; on the right, the finished soba noodle soup is topped with green onions, seaweed, and a pink slice of fish cake.

To Make the Quick Soba Broth (with concentrated mentsuyu; optional)

  • Follow your mentsuyu bottle instructions to make the broth.
    Mentsuyu / Tsuyu (Japanese Noodle Soup Base) | Easy Japanese Recipes at JustOneCookbook.com
  • In a medium saucepan, combine 2⅓ cups water, ⅓ cup mentsuyu (concentrated noodle soup base), and 1 Tbsp mirin. Mix well. Bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cover with a lid and turn off the heat. The soba broth is ready to use.
    Udon Noodle Soup with Mochi 1

Notes

Variations and Customizations:
We usually enjoy this noodle soup as a light meal or snack on its own. Try these add-ons if you want a more substantial meal.

Nutrition

Calories: 388kcal, Carbohydrates: 85g, Protein: 17g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 3mg, Sodium: 761mg, Potassium: 308mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 212IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 55mg, Iron: 3mg

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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on December 30, 2018, updated on December 29, 2020, and republished with more helpful information on December 21, 2025.