Cross over into the New Year with a piping hot bowl of soba noodle soup - a tradition called Toshikoshi Soba.  It’s a simple Japanese noodle dish to melt away the hardship of the past year and welcome the journey ahead.

Toshikoshi Soba (New Year’s Eve Noodles)

INGREDIENTS

• 3  cups  water  (720 ml)
• 1  piece  kombu (dried kelp) (4" x 4” or 10 cm x 10 cm)
• 1 cup  katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (10 g)(skip for vegetarian/vegan)
• 1  Tbsp  sake
• 2  Tbsp  mirin
• 2  Tbsp  usukuchi (light-color) soy sauce (or regular soy sauce)
• ¼ tsp  kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; Use half for table salt)
• 7  oz  dried soba noodles (buckwheat noodles) (200 g)

Toppings

• 2 Tbsp dried wakame seaweed (4 g or 0.1 oz)
• 4 slices kamaboko (fish cake) (Skip for vegetarian/vegan)
• 2  green onions/scallions 
• Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese seven spice)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Gather all the ingredients. [Optional] Soak the kombu in water for overnight. If you don’t have time, start soaking the kombu as soon as you can. Bring a big pot of water to a boil for soba noodles.
   

To Make Homemade Soup Broth

1. Add the kombu and kombu water (kombu dashi) in a medium saucepan. Slowly bring it to a boil over medium low heat (so kombu dashi will be more flavorful) . When almost boiling, discard the kombu (you can make Furikake rice seasoning with the leftover kombu).
2. Add the katsuobushi and simmer for 30 seconds. Then turn off the heat and let katsuobushi sink to the bottom of saucepan. Let Katsuobushi steep for about 10 minutes (meanwhile you can prepare toppings).
3. Drain and reserve the dashi in the measuring cup (or bowl) and discard the katsuobushi (you can make Furikake rice seasonings with the leftover katsuobushi). Put the dashi back in the saucepan.
4. Add the sake, mirin, usukuchi soy sauce (or regular soy sauce), and kosher salt
5. Bring it to a simmer and set aside.

To Make Soup Broth with a Store-Bought Bottle of Tsuyu

1. In a pot, combine ¼ cup Mentsuyu (Soup Base for Noodles), 2 cups water (1:8 ratio), and a splash of mirin and heat until it's hot.

   

To Prepare Toppings

1. Re-hydrate wakame seaweed in 1 cup water. Then squeeze the water out and set aside.
2. Thinly slice the green onion.
3. Detach the bottom of the kamaboko (fish cake) from the wooden board and slice 4 pieces.

To Serve Soba Noodles

1. In a boiling water, cook soba noodles according to the package instruction, but 30 seconds less. Unlike pasta, you do not need to add salt to the water.
2. Drain the soba noodles and rinse the noodles under cold water to get rid of the starch. Serve the noodles in the bowl.
3. Pour hot soup broth over soba noodles, top with kamaboko, wakame seaweed, and green onions. Enjoy while it’s hot.

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