Name: Toshikoshi Soba (New Year’s Soba Noodle Soup) Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 7 oz soba; 3 cups water; 1 kombu; 1 cup katsuobushi; 1 tbsp sake; 2 tbsp mirin; 2 tbsp usukuchi; 3⁄4 tsp kosher salt; 2 tbsp wakame seaweed; 4 kamaboko slices; 1 green onion; shichimi togarashi; 2 1⁄3 cups water; 1⁄3 cup mentsuyu/tsuyu; 1 tbsp mirin

Photos of Toshikoshi Soba (New Year’s Soba Noodle Soup) Recipe

How To Make Toshikoshi Soba (New Year’s Soba Noodle Soup)

Celebrate new year with a piping hot bowl of this toshikoshi soba (New Year’s soba noodle soup) recipe. Soba noodles poured with a hot broth and added with different toppings that will warm up the upcoming year.

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Total: 30 mins

Serves:

Ingredients

7 oz soba, (buckwheat noodles) dried

For The Soba Broth:

3 cups water
1 kombu, (dried kelp) 4x4 inches
1 cup katsuobushi, (dried bonito flakes)
1 tbsp sake, rice wine
2 tbsp mirin, sweet cooking wine
2 tbsp usukuchi, (soy sauce) light colored or regular
3⁄4 tsp kosher salt, or use half for table salt

For The Toppings:

2 tbsp wakame seaweed, dried
4 kamaboko slices, (fish cake)
1 green onion, scallion
shichimi togarashi, Japanese seven spice

For The Quick Soba Broth (optional):

2 1⁄3 cups water
1⁄3 cup mentsuyu/tsuyu, (concentrated noodle soup base)
1 tbsp mirin

Instructions

Soak kombu in water overnight or at least 30 minutes before cooking. This makes the broth more flavorful. Boil a big pot of water for soba noodles.

To Make Homemade Soup Broth:

Pour kombu and water mixture into a medium saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium low heat. When it comes to a boil discard kombu. Set kombu aside for other dishes. Keep simmering the broth.
Add katsuobushi and simmer for 30 seconds. Turn heat off and let katsuobushi steep for 10 minutes.
Strain the dashi stock into a bowl and set katsuoboshi aside. Put dashi back in the saucepan. Save katsuoboshi for other dishes. Add sake, mirin, soy sauce, and kosher salt. Bring to a simmer. Once boiling, remove from heat, cover, and set aside.

To Prepare Toppings:

In 1 cup water, rehydrate wakame seaweed. Squeeze water out and set seaweed aside.
Thinly slice green onions.
Remove bottom of kamaboko from the wooden board and slice into 4 thin pieces.

To Cook Soba Noodles:

In a pot of boiling water, cook soba noodles according to package instructions. Drain and wash under running water. Transfer noodles into individual bowls.

To Assemble:

Pour hot broth over soba noodles, top with kamaboko, wakame seaweed, and green onions. Sprinkle shichimi togarashi if preferred. Serve while hot.

To Make the Quick Soba Broth (Optional):

Follow instructions of mentsuyu bottle to make broth.
In a medium saucepan, combine water, mentsuyu, and mirin. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cover and turn heat off. Pour over soba noodles, add toppings, and serve while hot. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Sugar: 8g
:
Calcium: 142mg
Calories: 897kcal
Carbohydrates: 101g
Cholesterol: 119mg
Fat: 2g
Fiber: 1g
Iron: 4mg
Monounsaturated Fat: 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g
Potassium: 1422mg
Protein: 105g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Sodium: 42330mg
Vitamin A: 94IU
Vitamin C: 2mg

Nutrition Disclaimer

Want to share your experience making Toshikoshi Soba or discuss variations on this traditional New Year's dish? Join the conversation in the Recipe Sharing forum.