Soba Noodles in Broth With Spinach and Shiitakes

This dish is inspired by a recipe by Sonoko Kondo in her wonderful book “The Poetical Pursuit of Food” (Clarkson Potter, 1986). Soba noodles represent longevity in Japan because they are long and lean. When you eat them, slurp them without breaking the noodles.

Ingredients

• 1 ounce kombu seaweed
• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms
• ¾ pound dried soba noodles
• 12 ounces spinach, stemmed and washed thoroughly, or 1 6-ounce bag baby spinach, rinsed
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon sake
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 2 to 4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (to taste)

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

    13 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 0 grams protein; 47 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
  Powered by DiningAndCooking.com

Four generous servings

Preparation

1. Place the kombu and shiitakes in a large bowl, and cover with 4 1/2 cups hot water. Soak for 30 minutes. Place a strainer over a bowl and drain. Squeeze the mushrooms over the strainer, then rinse. Remove the mushroom stems and discard. Slice the caps thinly.
2. Meanwhile, cook the soba noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water comes to a boil, add the soba. As the water comes back to a boil, add 1/2 cup of cold water to prevent it from boiling over. Allow to come back to a boil again, and add another 1/2 cup of cold water. Check for doneness, and if necessary bring back to a boil one more time and add another 1/2 cup of cold water. The soba should be tender all the way through but al dente — slightly firm to the bite. Transfer immediately to the ice water, and allow to cool for a few minutes, then drain.
3. Bring the water back to a boil, salt generously and add the spinach. Blanch for one minute, and transfer to a bowl of ice water. Drain, squeeze out excess liquid, and cut the squeezed bundle of spinach into four pieces.
4. Divide the noodles, spinach, mushrooms and green onions among four large soup bowls. In a saucepan, combine the soaking water from the kombu and mushrooms, the sake, mirin and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasonings. Pour over the ingredients in the soup bowls, and serve at once.

• Advance preparation: You can make this recipe through step 3 several hours in advance. If the noodles stick together, rinse them briefly with cold water.

1 hour