RECIPE: Japanese Potato Salad with Sobacha (Buckwheat Tea)

You may be surprised to find out there are more ways to enjoy sobacha (buckwheat tea), even after having your sip of tea! Once brewed, you can use the leftover sobacha kernels to give your dishes a fantastic nutty flavour and crunchy texture. One dish you can try this with is Japanese potato salad!

Potato salad is a popular home-cooked dish in Japan. The Japanese version includes creamy, smooth potatoes mixed with Japanese mayonnaise and crunchy vegetables. This potato salad recipe elevates your typical side dish by infusing sobacha kernels from sobacha for extra texture and nutty aroma!

To make this recipe, simply boil the potatoes until soft. Combine with the recipe’s dressing and your favourite vegetables. Then, top it off with the sobacha kernels and Japanese mayonnaise!

What is Sobacha? (Buckwheat Tea)

Sobacha is an herbal tea made from roasted buckwheat kernels. It has a light brown colour, resembling its toasty, buttery, and nutty flavour. Sweet and light, this tea is enjoyed with both sweet and savoury dishes. Additionally, soba is highly nutritious and many drink sobacha for its health benefits!

Servings: 4
Prep time: 10mins
Cooking time: 4mins

Ingredients:

• 2 potatoes (250g)
• ½ cup celery (thinly sliced)
• ½ cup cucumber (thinly sliced)
• ½ cup red or yellow pepper (chopped)
• Pinch of salt
• ½ cup of leftover buckwheat from the Sobacha (Buckwheat Tea) after you've enjoyed a cup of tea (also available in our Japanese Green and Specialty Teas: “Ryu” Care Package)

Dressing:

• 3 slices of anchovy (finely chopped) or 1 tbsp of anchovy puree
• 1 tsp soy sauce*
• ½ tsp of rice vinegar*
• 1 tsp garlic (crushed)
• 2 tbsp of Japanese mayonnaise
• Black pepper to taste

Optional toppings

• Crispy bacon
• Fresh herbs

* Available in our Creative Beginnings: Redefining "Wa" Care Package

Directions

1. Rinse the potatoes and remove the eyes. Place in a pot and top with water until the potatoes are submerged. Cook on high heat for 25 mins or until the potatoes are fully cooked (when you can easily poke a fork in them).
2. Drain the potatoes and while still hot, mash them with the anchovies, soy sauce, rice vinegar and garlic. 
3. 
4. Separately, mix the celery, cucumber and red or yellow pepper in a bowl with a pinch of salt. Leave for 5 mins minutes and squeeze out any excess moisture. Mix this with the potatoes from step 4. 
5. 
6. Add the leftover soba and Japanese mayo. Mix together and serve. Sprinkle with black pepper to taste and garnish with optional toppings if desired.

Tips:

• Make sure to add the rice vinegar while the potatoes are still hot so they absorb the vinegar nicely.
• You can add more soba for additional texture and taste.
• You can swap mayonnaise for greek yogurt or sour cream. Be sure to add a little salt to adjust the taste.

Storage time: Can be stored in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Please re-toss before serving. 

Recipe courtesy of Miwa's Japanese Cooking Class

Miwa was born in Kamakura. She spent one year in Texas, US and another year in California, US during high-school and university respectively. In 2016, due to her husband, Yuki’s study abroad, she spent one year in Cambridge, UK where she came up with the original idea of Japanese Cooking Class in Shinagawa & Kamakura. She is currently teaching at the biggest cooking studio in Japan while holding a class at home.  She is the mother of two and a full-time worker. Always busy her food is not for tourists but for the taste of a Japanese mother.(See her Instagram for food pictures). If you want to know the a well-balanced, time-saving and delicious Japanese family cuisine, please join her lesson!

Qualification; Medicinal cooking.
<Best classes and workshops in Shinagawa prefecture on Tripadviser (2010/06/18)>
<Instagram: @miwajapanesecookingclass>