Craving a lightweight and refreshing chilled noodle dish on a sizzling summer season day? Attempt my Chilly Somen Noodles served with grated ginger, scallion, and a savory soy-based dipping sauce known as tsuyu. Optionally, you may add numerous greens and proteins to this cooling dish to make it a extra filling meal. {Vegan Adaptable}
What do you often find yourself consuming when the climate will get impossibly heat and also you begin shedding your urge for food? Rising up in Asia, summers have been usually brutally sizzling. To beat the warmth, my favourite go-to dishes on these sweltering days are Japanese Chilly Somen Noodles (そうめん) and Soba Noodles. As you slurp the slippery chilly noodles dipped in scrumptious tsuyu, you’d really feel your physique beginning to cool in the summertime warmth.
What Are Somen Noodles?
Sōmen (素麺,そうめん) are white Japanese noodles manufactured from wheat flour and they’re very skinny, about 1 mm in diameter. Vegetable oil helps the dough stretch into threadlike strips. Then, the noodles are air-dried. You’ll be able to learn extra in regards to the somen-making course of here.
Additionally, learn more about somen noodles on my pantry web page.
Why You Ought to Attempt Somen Noodles
- Very versatile. Goes properly with any broth, sauce, or toppings!
- Cooks tremendous quick! It takes just one to 1½ minutes.
- Simply accessible. You should buy a package deal of dried somen noodles online and in most Asian grocery shops.
Elements You’ll Want
- Dried somen noodles — considered one of few kinds of Japanese noodles which might be bought solely in dried kind.
- Mentsuyu (noodle soup base) — store-bought or homemade
- Chopped scallions — for garnish
- Grated ginger — for garnish
- Elective toppings — please learn beneath.
The place to Purchase Dried Somen Noodles
Thankfully, dried somen noodle packages can be found at Japanese and Asian grocery shops. My favourite model is Ibonoito (揖保乃糸). I grew up consuming this model, and it’s nonetheless one of the best in taste and texture. Due to this fact, I’m so completely satisfied we will now buy this model within the US!
The pink somen noodles are manufactured from Ume (梅), Japanese plum. The Tenobe Somen (手延そうめん) from Shodo Island has made the area well-known as considered one of Japan’s prime three producers of somen noodles.
The way to Prepare dinner Chilly Somen Noodles
- Prepare dinner the somen noodles: Carry a big pot of water to a boil. You do not want to salt the water. Additionally, it’s essential to make use of loads of water so the water stays boiling while you add the dried noodles. Prepare dinner the noodles for 1 to 1½ minutes, based on the package deal directions. I often undercook barely. Stir the noodles with chopsticks to forestall sticking. Drain the noodles in a colander instantly. Utilizing your fingers, gently knead the noodles whereas rinsing them below chilly working water. This helps to take away the surplus oil used to make tremendous skinny noodles.
- Make tsuyu, the dipping sauce: Mix the mentsuyu, water, and ice cubes.
- Serve with the dipping sauce, garnishes, and elective toppings.
The way to Put together the Dipping Sauce (Tsuyu)
Chilly somen noodles are served with a dipping sauce known as tsuyu (つゆ). It’s the identical Japanese dashi-based broth utilized in sizzling soup, however extra concentrated in taste. It’s tremendous helpful to make a giant batch of simple homemade tsuyu as we use it usually within the summertime!
I all the time hold a bottle of mentsuyu in my fridge. You should buy it from a Japanese or Asian grocery retailer or on Amazon. Every mentsuyu model has totally different directions on tips on how to use concentrated or non-concentrated sauce. We name the non-concentrated noodle soup base “straight” (ストレート); you don’t want to dilute it with water. Observe the directions on the again of the bottle and modify as wanted.
Because it’s written in Japanese, I defined extra on this Mentsuyu Pantry Web page. In the event you’re not sure, strive diluting the focus with water and style it.
Should-Have Garnishes
I like holding issues easy by including some chopped scallions and grated ginger to the tsuyu dipping sauce to serve with the chilly somen.
You may as well add julienned shiso (perilla leaves) or myoga (Japanese ginger) if you’ll find them at Japanese grocery shops. The dipping sauce is gentle but extremely fragrant.
Elective Somen Toppings
To make the meal extra filling, you may serve the somen noodles with numerous toppings. Listed below are some enjoyable concepts:
Proteins
Veggies and Mushrooms
- Cherry tomatoes
- Julienned cucumber
- Blanched and sliced okra
- Simmered shiitake mushrooms
Garnishes
The way to Serve Somen Noodles
After rinsing the noodles below chilly working water, you may serve the noodles 3 ways.
- Possibility 1: Serve the noodles in iced water. (image on the left)
- Possibility 2: Serve the rolled-up noodles on a plate or bamboo tray. (image on the suitable)
- Possibility 3: Serve the drained noodles with ice cubes in particular person plates/bowls. You may as well roll up the noodles. (image on the underside)
Possibility #1 is a superb alternative on a sizzling day. Noodles are tremendous chilly and good. If you’re serving this dish for the household, choose choice #1 or choice #3. If you’re serving this meal for a bigger crowd (consider it as a DIY somen celebration!), choice #2 is likely to be a sensible choice, so you may choose up a portion of noodles simply.
Nothing is extra comforting and satisfying than having fun with the lengthy strands of chilled slippery somen noodles with the sweet-savory sauce by itself. It is without doubt one of the easy dishes that spotlight the individuality of somen noodles.
Want to study extra about Japanese cooking? Join our free newsletter to obtain cooking ideas & recipe updates! And keep in contact with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
Japanese Chilly Somen Noodles
Craving a lightweight and refreshing chilled noodle dish on a sizzling summer season day? Attempt my Chilly Somen Noodles served with grated ginger, scallion, and a savory soy-based dipping sauce known as tsuyu. Optionally, you may add numerous greens and proteins to this cooling dish to make it a extra filling meal. {Vegan Adaptable}
Elements
For the Simmered Shiitake Topping (elective)
Forestall your display screen from going darkish
Directions
To Make the Dipping Sauce
-
I like to recommend making Homemade Mentsuyu for one of the best taste, however you can too use store-bought mentsuyu. Most are concentrated, and each model has barely totally different directions on tips on how to dilute it. I clarify a bit extra on my mentsuyu pantry page. The model I take advantage of recommends a dilution ratio of 1 half mentsuyu to a few elements water, or 1 to three.
-
Mix ¼ cup mentsuyu (concentrated noodle soup base) and ½–1 cup iced water in a measuring cup and blend properly. In case your mentsuyu is just not concentrated (labeled “straight“ on the bottle), then you definately don‘t have to dilute it. Tip: Embrace a number of ice cubes as a part of your measured water to maintain your dipping sauce chilled and refreshing.
To Put together the Garnishes
-
Lower 1 inexperienced onion/scallion into skinny slices and grate the ginger (I take advantage of a ceramic grater) and put them individually in small bowls. I extremely advocate shiso leaves (perilla/ooba) and myoga ginger for somen, if you’ll find them. Thinly slice and place them in separate small bowls. Grate a small quantity of daikon radish (elective), gently squeeze among the liquid out, then place in a small bowl. Pour some toasted white sesame seeds (elective) right into a small bowl. Collect all of the garnishes on a tray, if desired, and put aside.
To Put together the Toppings (elective)
-
To make the meal extra filling, you may put together toppings comparable to chicken chashu, simmered shiitake mushrooms (see subsequent step), blanched okra, toasted aburaage, shredded skinny omelette (see How to Make Kinshi Tamago), julienned cucumbers, thinly sliced Satsuma age, and cherry tomatoes. Discover extra concepts within the weblog submit.
-
To make the simmered shiitake mushrooms, take away the stems from 8–10 shiitake mushrooms. Lower the caps into skinny slices. In a saucepan, mix the mushroom slices, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tsp sugar, and 1 tbsp water (or dashi). Simmer, uncovered, till there may be nearly no liquid left. Put aside to chill.
To Prepare dinner the Somen Noodles
-
Carry a big pot of water to a boil. (You do not want so as to add salt to the water.) In the meantime, take away all of the wrappings from 4 bundles dried somen noodles, as all of the noodles ought to go into the boiling water on the identical time. Tip: Somen noodles prepare dinner very quick, so it‘s essential to work rapidly.
-
When the water is boiling, add the somen all of sudden, spreading the noodles across the pot in a round movement to separate every strand (I take advantage of a movement much like opening a Japanese folding fan).
-
Prepare dinner within the boiling water, stirring sometimes with chopsticks, for 1 to 1½ minutes or based on the package deal directions. If it seems just like the water could boil over, add a small quantity of chilly water to the pot. When the noodles are accomplished, drain them in a colander. Tip: I barely undercook my noodles to maintain their springy texture.
-
Subsequent, rinse the somen below chilly working water. As soon as the noodles are cool sufficient to deal with, rinse them together with your fingers as in case you are washing your garments. Knead and therapeutic massage the noodles to do away with the surplus oil. If you end, switch the somen to a big bowl of iced water with a number of ice cubes.
To Serve
-
Chilly Somen Noodles are sometimes served household fashion in Japan, both chilled in iced water or on a tray. To serve in iced water, hold the chilled noodles of their giant bowl of water with loads of ice cubes. Embellish with inexperienced leaves such because the Japanese maple I used right here. Serve the tsuyu dipping sauce in small particular person bowls or cups.
-
Alternatively, you may serve the somen on particular person plates or a big serving platter. With chopsticks, neatly roll the chilled noodles into small bunches and prepare in your plates/platter (I used a Japanese bamboo serving basket). Place the bowl or tray of somen within the middle of the desk together with the garnishes and elective toppings you ready earlier. To eat, sprinkle just a few garnishes and toppings into your tsuyu, dip some somen in your sauce, and revel in.
To Retailer
-
You’ll be able to hold the leftovers in an hermetic container and retailer within the fridge for as much as 2 days. If the noodles stick to one another below refrigeration, run them below chilly water to loosen them up earlier than serving. Ideally, it’s best to boil the noodles proper earlier than serving so they will not lose their completely springy texture.
Vitamin
Vitamin Information
Japanese Chilly Somen Noodles
Quantity per Serving
% Day by day Worth*
* P.c Day by day Values are based mostly on a 2000 calorie eating regimen.
Editor’s Be aware: The submit was initially printed on August 14, 2013. It was up to date with new photographs, content material, and a revised recipe on September 5, 2022, and republished on July 2, 2024.
