Kake Soba with Crispy Salmon
Kake soba is a warm dashi broth paired with buckwheat soba noodles. This dish is common in many Japanese households and is often made during New Year’s to bring longevity and prosperity. It’s also a go-to quick dinner paired with a protein or vegetables or even a quick snack. This dish is so nostalgic to me because my grandma would make it for me all the time when I was a kid. It’s a simple noodle dish, and you can hold both the stock and concentrate for a couple of weeks in the fridge. Let’s make it!
This recipe may look long and overwhelming, but if you make the dashi and kaeshi ahead of time, dinner comes together quickly. Below is a time breakdown for each part of the dish:
Dashi: ~45 min (mostly passive)
Kaeshi: 10 min (+ at least 3 days to develop flavor)
Kake Soba: 15 min (if dashi & kaeshi are prepped)
Crispy Salmon & Cucumber Salad: ~30 min
Overall dinner time if kaeshi and dashi is ready ~ 45 mins
Kake soba is made with 8 parts dashi to 1 part kaeshi. In this recipe, we will be making both dashi and kaeshi. The dashi broth can be kept in the fridge for up to two weeks, and the kaeshi can last up to a month. The longer you keep the kaeshi, the better it tastes!
Other Recipes Using Dashi:
I’ll be adding to this list as I publish more recipes, but for now, you can use dashi in various Japanese dishes like:
Notes:
Dashi alternatives: If you don’t have time to make dashi, you can buy dashi powder or dashi packs. The powder dissolves in hot water instantly!
Kaeshi needs time: I recommend making the stock and concentrate at the beginning of the week so you can enjoy this dish later and have kaeshi ready for the rest of the month!
Salmon type: I prefer farm-raised salmon for its slightly fattier texture, perfect for crispy skin.
Dry your salmon: Pat your salmon dry before seasoning—any moisture on the surface will cause it to stick to the pan.
Hot oil is key: Make sure your oil is hot before adding the salmon to get that perfect crispy skin.
Recipes
Dashi Recipe (Makes about 6 cups)
Ingredients:
8 cups water
2 (6-inch) pieces kombu
3 cups bonito flakes
Directions:
In a large pot, add 8 cups of water and kombu. Let it steep for 30 minutes.
Place the pot over medium heat and bring to a boil.
Remove the kombu (keeping it in too long makes the stock slimy).
Add the bonito flakes—don’t stir! The flakes will steep naturally, and stirring will make the stock cloudy.
When the stock comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Skim off any scum that appears.
Turn off the heat and let the stock steep for 15 minutes.
Strain through a sieve—don’t squeeze or press the bonito flakes; let the liquid drain naturally.
Discard the bonito flakes.
Storage: Store dashi in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 2 months. (I like to keep my dashi in a cold brew container)
Kaeshi Recipe (Makes about 2 cups)
This is a rich, sweet umami concentrate that gets better over time. It should be in the fridge for at least 3 days before using so the flavors can deepen.
Ingredients:
2 cups soy sauce
½ cup mirin
3 Tbsp sugar
Directions:
In a small pot, add all ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat.
Once boiling, turn off the heat and let the kaeshi come to room temperature.
Store in the fridge for at least 3 days before using.
Kake Soba (Tsuyu & Assembly)
Now it’s time to make the kake soba! We are making tsuyu by combining the dashi and kaeshi together.
Ingredients:
6 cups dashi
½ cup + 2 Tbsp kaeshi
¼ cup + 2 Tbsp mirin
8 oz buckwheat soba noodles
Minced daikon radish
Nori strips
LOTS of green onions (I use the whole stalk)
Directions:
In a medium pot, mix together dashi, kaeshi, and mirin. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce the heat to low to keep the broth warm.
Meanwhile, cook the soba noodles according to the package instructions then drain.
Divide the broth into four bowls.
How to Eat Soba Noodles:
A lot of noodles can overwhelm the broth, so only add small amounts at a time. Refill the broth with more noodles as needed.
Assembly:
Divide the broth into four bowls and add a generous handful of green onions.
On a small plate, add cooked soba noodles topped with minced daikon radish and nori.
Add a little bit of noodles at a time to the broth. Once you finish the noodles, refill with more.
Pair with crispy salmon and cucumber salad. Enjoy!
Crispy Skin Salmon Recipe
Ingredients:
4 (6 oz) salmon fillets
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Season the salmon – Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides. Pat dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
Heat the pan – In a medium pan, pour enough oil to cover the surface by about ½ inch. Heat over medium.
Cook skin-side down – Once the oil is hot, place the salmon skin-side down. Leave it undisturbed to crisp up.
Flip the salmon – If it sticks, it’s not ready to flip. Once it releases naturally, flip and cook for another 2 minutes until the center is rosy pink.
Rest the salmon – Place on a cooling rack skin-side up to maintain crispiness.
Quick Cucumber Salad
Ingredients:
1 English cucumber
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
½ Tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
Directions:
Thinly slice the cucumbers.
Sprinkle with salt to draw out excess moisture. (Some rinse it off, but I get lazy and don’t bother.)
In a medium bowl, mix soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and sugar.
Toss in the cucumber slices and enjoy!
This meal is comforting, flavorful, and easy once the prep is done. Hope you love it as much as I do!