Cold Soba Noodles with Dipping Sauce

Cold Soba Noodles with Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:
1 x 16 oz (454 g) pack soba noodles
1/2 English cucumber, cut into long, thin strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into long, thin strips
1/2 cup (45 g) daikon, cut into thinly sliced rounds
2 green onions, finely minced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon prepared wasabi
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, plus extra for sprinkling
1 sheet toasted nori, cut into thin strips

Dipping Sauce:
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) boiling water
1 tablespoon white miso paste
1/4 cup (60 ml) mirin
1/4 cup (60 ml) tamari
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon unrefined cane sugar

Directions:
1. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. Set aside on a clean, dry tea towel to dry.
2. Place the cut vegetables in little piles on a large plate or serving platter. Arrange the green onions, ginger, wasabi, and sesame seeds in their own individual dishes.
3. For the dipping sauce, pour the boiling water into a bowl or mug. Add the miso paste and whisk to dissolve. In a small saucepan, bring the mirin, tamari, vinegar, and sugar to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the miso broth.
4. To serve, plate several bite-sized bundles of noodles onto each bamboo mat or plate. Top each with a sprinkling of nori shreds and sesame seeds. Give each guest an individual bowl of dipping sauce.
5. To eat, season the dipping sauce with green onion, wasabi, ginger, and sesame seeds to taste. Pick up a bundle of noodles with chopsticks and dip into the sauce. Dip the vegetables the same way. At the end of the meal, add hot water to the remaining sauce and drink it as a broth.