O Sansai Soba é um prato reconfortante e clássico da culinária japonesa, que celebra os sabores da natureza. “Sansai” significa literalmente “vegetais da montanha”, e esta sopa de noodles de trigo sarraceno é tradicionalmente feita com os brotos e plantas selvagens colhidos na primavera. A combinação do caldo dashi aromático, os noodles soba e a variedade de texturas dos vegetais e outros toppings, como o mochi tostado, tornam esta refeição numa experiência nutritiva e deliciosa.

Ingredientes

  • 1 servindo macarrão soba
  • 2 colheres de sopa de molho de soja
  • 2 colheres de sopa de Mirin
  • 2 colheres de sopa de açúcar
  • 2 xícaras dashi
  • 8 oz. coxa de frango sem pele sem osso
  • 1/2 pacote sansai (legumes de montanha)
  • sejam quais forem os vegetais que você tenha à mão
  • 1 bloco de mochi
  • 1 ovo cozido duro ou mole ou 1 uzura crua
  • um pedaço de casca de limão (tamanho de dez centavos)

Preparação

  1. Corte o frango em pedaços pequenos. Em uma panela média, aqueça o dashi para ferver e adicione o açúcar, o mirin e o molho de soja … nessa ordem. Quando você tiver seu caldo para ferver leve, adicione o frango.
  2. Aqueça o frango e brinde seu mochi. Corte o bloco em cerca de 4 peças. Você tem que assistir mochi porque vai queimar facilmente. Eles vão inchar quando eles brindam, adicionando uma textura agradável ao prato.
  3. Enquanto isso, se você tiver outros vegetais além do sansai, pode escaldá-los por alguns minutos e depois reserve. Em outra panela, ferva o soba. O frango deve ser feito no tempo que leva para cozinhar o soba.
  4. Agora que seus ingredientes estão prontos, é hora de montar. Pegue uma tigela bem grande e coloque as raspas no fundo. Adicione o caldo com frango. Por último, adicione o macarrão soba e organize seus vegetais, mochi e ovo no topo. Apreciar!

* uzura é ovo de codorna
* Ao adicionar o mochi, certifique-se de deixar uma porção acima do líquido para conservar a textura tostada. Você quer quentinho e mastigável ao mesmo tempo.

Ready to bring a taste of the Japanese mountains to your kitchen? The English recipe is waiting for you.

Mountain Vegetable Soba (Sansai Soba)

Sansai Soba is a classic Japanese noodle soup that beautifully showcases the delicate flavours of the mountains . The name literally translates to “mountain vegetable soba,” and it traditionally features sansai—a variety of wild, foraged vegetables and shoots that are treasured as the first gifts of spring . This comforting dish brings together earthy buckwheat noodles, a savoury broth, and an array of toppings for a meal that is both hearty and wholesome.

The soul of the dish is its clear, flavourful broth, known as tsuyu, which is typically built on a dashi base—a fundamental Japanese stock . This is seasoned with soy sauce and sweet mirin, creating a perfect balance of salty and sweet notes that complements the other ingredients. The recipe is highly versatile, often including proteins like chicken or tofu and various toppings that add texture and flavour .

A particularly delightful addition in this version is mochi, a chewy Japanese rice cake . When toasted, the mochi puffs up, becoming wonderfully crisp on the outside while remaining soft and chewy within . Paired with a soft-boiled egg and the unique textures of the mountain vegetables, it turns a simple noodle soup into a truly special and satisfying meal.

Ingredients

  • 1 serving of dried soba noodles
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp Mirin
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 cups dashi stock
  • 225g (8 oz) boneless, skinless chicken thigh
  • 1/2 packet of pre-cooked *sansai* (mountain vegetable mix)
  • A handful of other vegetables you have on hand (e.g., spinach, mushrooms)
  • 1 block of *kiri mochi* (cuttable dried rice cake)
  • 1 chicken egg, hard or soft-boiled, or 1 raw quail egg (*uzura*)
  • A dime-sized piece of lemon zest

Method

  1. Prepare the broth and chicken. Cut the chicken into small, bite-sized pieces. In a medium saucepan, bring the dashi stock to a gentle simmer. Add the sugar, mirin, and soy sauce, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the chicken pieces and let them simmer gently in the broth until cooked through.
  2. While the chicken is cooking, toast the mochi. Cut the block into about 4 pieces. Toast them in a toaster oven or a dry, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat until they puff up and turn golden brown [9]. Watch them carefully as they can burn easily.
  3. Meanwhile, cook the noodles and other vegetables. If you are using additional fresh vegetables like spinach, you can blanch them for a minute in boiling water, then set aside. In a separate pot, cook the soba noodles according to the package instructions.
  4. Assemble the soup. Once all your ingredients are ready, take a large soup bowl and place the small piece of lemon zest at the bottom. Pour in the hot broth with the cooked chicken. Add the cooked soba noodles, then arrange the *sansai*, blanched vegetables, toasted mochi, and your choice of egg on top. Enjoy immediately.

* When adding the toasted mochi, try to keep part of it above the broth to preserve its crispy texture. This way you get a wonderful contrast of chewy and toasty in one bite.