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1
Heat the vegetable oil in a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed saucepan to 350F.
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2
Also fill a medium pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat.
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3
Heat the broth in a saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a boil.
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4
Lower the heat, cover, and keep warm until ready to serve.
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5
Prepare the tempura batter by beating the egg and water in a bowl.
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6
Mix well and then slowly mix in the 2 cups flour until just combined.
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7
Be careful not to overmix; you dont want a smooth batter like pancake batter.
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8
Instead, you want tiny lumps of flour to remain in the batter.
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9
With a sharp knife, make five shallow slits across the underside of each shrimp.
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10
Next, flip the shrimp over so their undersides are resting against your cutting board.
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11
Now gently press down on the shrimp with your fingers to flatten slightly.
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12
This action will stop the shrimp from curling when you cook them, but be careful not to press too hard because the shrimp could break into pieces.
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13
Dip the shrimp, mushrooms, and asparagus into the tempura batter, and carefully place in the hot oil.
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14
Cook the vegetables for about 3 minutes and the shrimp for 1 minute longer.
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15
When you notice the bubbles that appear on the surface of the oil getting smaller and decreasing, and see the ingredients float to the top, youll know theyre done.
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16
The color of the tempura will be a light golden brownmake sure the tempura doesnt overcook and turn dark brown.
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17
Transfer the ingredients from the oil and rest on a paper towellined tray to absorb any extra oil.
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18
Add the soba noodles to the pot of boiling water, stirring with a fork or chopsticks to make sure the noodles dont stick together.
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19
Boil for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the noodles are just cooked through but still al dente.
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20
Drain well.
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21
To serve, divide the soba noodles among 4 soup bowls, add the broth, and garnish with the scallions.
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22
Serve the tempura on a separate plate.
