Last Updated on June 3, 2023

Are you looking for a new way of cooking soba noodles? This Soba Noodles with Umeboshi Paste & Matcha is very unique creation that will elevate your palette. It’s subtle but sophisticated and somewhat luxurious. It’s vegan (always), gluten-free (make sure to choose 100% buckwheat soba noodles), with no added fat!

Umeboshi Paste

Umeboshi [梅干し] is pickled (brined) Japanese ume plum. It’s sour and salty although the level of sourness and saltiness varies. Umeboshi is one of the popular pickles to eat rice with. It’s super salty that a little bit goes a long way.

Typically, umeboshi is packed and sold as a whole with a seed in it. To make a paste, grab a couple and simply remove the seed then place them on a cutting board and chop them with a knife. Luckily, here in the U.S., we can find umeboshi paste from Eden Foods and that’s what we use.

Umeboshi Paste & Matcha

Matcha [抹茶] is so popular now a days so that everyone knows the flavor of it. It’s aromatic, plesantly bitter than regular green tea but has more umami that you can taste if you really savor it. We recommend using this matcha powder from Mountain Rose Herbs. It’s organic and the best of all, Japan origin. Here, matcha is often used for dessert but for the Japanese people, it’s also an ingredient for making savory dishes. Chasoba [茶そば] is one of them which is soba noodles made with matcha. Actually the idea of this dish comes from chasoba! We don’t have it so we reinterpreted it and added a unique touch with umeboshi.

Now, if you aren’t familiar with the taste of umeboshi, you will be surprised by how sour and salty it is. Because of that, it’s actually a great combination with the bitter matcha. As you eat the noodles, the umeboshi blends into the matcha and interestingly creates a sophisticated flavored broth that you’ve probably never tasted before!

Soba Noodles

Did you know soba noodles have different varieties? We’re particularly talking about the blending ratios. The most common ones are;

• Juwari-Soba [十割そば] 100 % buckwheat flour soba noodles
• Nihachi-Soba [二八そば] 20% wheat flour and 80% buckwheat soba noodles

So now you know! The soba noodles you’ve been eating may not be what you were thinking of. For us, we prefer using 100% buckwheat soba for the taste and it’s gluten-free!

Feeling Inspired?

If you like to try cooking matcha in other savory dishes, check out this Matcha Salt and/or Roasted Cauliflower with Matcha Salt.

Print Recipe

5 from 30 votes

Soba Noodles with Umeboshi Paste & Matcha

This Soba Noodles with Umeboshi Paste & Matcha is very unique creation that will elevate your palette. It's subtle but sophisticated and somewhat luxurious. It's vegan (always), gluten-free (make sure to choose 100% buckwheat soba noodles), with no added fat!

It can also be served cold.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course: Appetizers & Starters, Entree, Lunch, Dinner

Cuisine: Japanese, Japanese Inspired, Vegan, Gluten-Free

Servings: 2 people

Author: Plant-Based Matters

Ingredients

Soba Noodles with Umeboshi Paste

• 8 oz buckwheat soba noodles (we use 100 % buckwheat)
• 3 tbsp umeboshi paste (Japanese pickled plum)
• 1 tbsp soba cooking water

Matcha

• 1/2 tsp matcha powder
• 4 oz hot water

Toppings

• 1 scallion thinly sliced
• Umeboshi paste
• Toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

• In a large pot, start boiling water for cooking soba noodles. Once it is boiling, cook soba noodle for 6-7 minutes (or follow the directions on the package.) Do not overcook the soba! Reserve some soba cooking water (up to 1/4 cup.) Drain and rinse under running water to remove the starch. Shake off the excess water and set aside.
• In a large prep bowl, combine umeboshi paste and 1 tbsp soba cooking water. Mix well. Then add soba noodles. Toss gently to avoid breaking noodles. Add a little more soba cooking water if it is too dry. Set aside.
• In an 8 oz liquid measuring cup (or small bowl), combine matcha powder and hot water. Whisk quickly until matcha powder dissolved into the hot water.
• Serve the soba noodles in a bowl then pour the matcha (about 2 oz per person.) Top it with scallion, extra umeboshi paste, and toasted sesame seeds.

Did you make this recipe?Mention @plantbased_matters or tag #plantbased_matters!