Burdock Soba: A Comforting Bowl of Dashi and Roots / 出汁と根菜で整う、ごぼう蕎麦

Needing a comforting bowl of soba, after a day at the Turf Club

The day before I made this dish, I had visited the Singapore Turf Club for the first time.
It turned out to be a surprisingly enjoyable experience—watching the horses thunder past, taking in the energy of the crowd, and indulging in snacks and drinks throughout the afternoon. But by the time I got home, I felt quite worn out—mentally and physically.

The next morning, I found myself craving something light yet grounding. And as often happens, my thoughts returned to dashi—the clean, soothing base of so many Japanese dishes. This soba bowl was a quiet reset.

What Is Kinpira Goboh Soba? Why so comforting?

Kinpira goboh is a classic Japanese side dish made with sautéed and simmered burdock root.
It’s often served in small bowls alongside ohitashi (blanched greens) or tsukemono (pickles) in a typical teishoku meal.
While it’s usually a humble side, this version turns kinpira into the star by layering it over soba noodles with tofu and a softly set egg in dashi broth.

Related Post

Classic “Kinpira Goboh” with a twist: Japanese Braised Burdock Root/ メインディッシュ級！きんぴらご… A flavorful kinpira goboh recipe using local ingredients, made heartier with chicken and konnyaku. ごぼうと鶏肉で主役級に楽しむ、日本の家庭料理。

Dashi Broth

Always the heart of the soup. The aroma spreading in kitchen while preparation is already the start of healing.
Prepare dashi stock using kelp and dashi packs (or powder).
Season with light soy sauce, mirin, sake, and salt to taste.

Quick idea of the recipe, steps

Toppings
– Parboil tofu and cut into cubes.
– Add tofu to hot broth, bring to a boil, then gently pour in a beaten egg. Cover and let sit off-heat.
– Make kinpira-style burdock: julienne burdock root and sauté in sesame oil. Add soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. Simmer until lightly glazed.

Noodles
-Boil soba in a separate pot. Drain and place in a bowl. Pour over the tofu-egg broth and top with kinpira.

A nourishing bowl, made simple.

Oishii🥰🍜✨

疲れた胃に、しみわたる。出汁と根菜で整う、ごぼう蕎麦

シンガポール唯一の競馬場が180年の歴史に幕を閉じるということで、昨日は人生初の競馬観戦でした。
とても興味深く面白かったのですが、乾杯しながら5時間以上のレース、その後もディナーで、久々に胃が疲れてしまいました。

こんなときは、お出汁に限ります。
かけそばでも作ろうと思ったのですが、不思議なことに、お出汁の香りがしてきたら食欲が戻ってきて、色々具だくさんのお蕎麦になりました。
きんぴらさんを炒められるくらいに復活です（ローカルスーパーで見かける現地”ごばぅ”、だいぶレピートしています）笑

Photo gallery of Singapore Turf Club