Soba Salad

1. Prepare dashi stock: Soak the Kombu in 500g Water for 30 minutes. Gently heat the Water with Kombu over medium heat until just before boiling. Remove the Kombu. Add the Katsuobushi to the hot water, turn off the heat, and let it steep for 5 minutes until the flakes settle. Strain the dashi stock through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving 100g for the dressing.

2. Cook the Soba noodles according to package instructions in boiling water until al dente. Drain the Soba noodles and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to remove excess starch and cool them down. Drain well again.

3. While the Soba noodles cook, prepare the vegetables. Julienne the Cucumber, Carrot, and Red bell pepper into thin strips. Thinly slice the Scallions.