Craving a light-weight 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 referred to as tsuyu. Optionally, you’ll be able to 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 typically 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 concerning the somen-making course of right here.
Additionally, be taught extra 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 only one to 1½ minutes.
- Simply accessible. You should buy a bundle of dried somen noodles on-line and in most Asian grocery shops.
Components You’ll Want
- Dried somen noodles — one in every of few varieties of Japanese noodles which might be bought solely in dried kind.
- Mentsuyu (noodle soup base) — store-bought or do-it-yourself
- Chopped scallions — for garnish
- Grated ginger — for garnish
- Non-compulsory toppings — please learn beneath.
The place to Purchase Dried Somen Noodles
Fortuitously, 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 comfortable 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 one in every of Japan’s prime three producers of somen noodles.
Find out how to Cook dinner Chilly Somen Noodles
- Cook dinner the somen noodles: Deliver a big pot of water to a boil. You don’t want to salt the water. Additionally, it’s essential to make use of loads of water so the water stays boiling once you add the dried noodles. Cook dinner the noodles for 1 to 1½ minutes, based on the bundle 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 underneath 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 non-obligatory toppings.
Find out how to Put together the Dipping Sauce (Tsuyu)
Chilly somen noodles are served with a dipping sauce referred to as tsuyu (つゆ). It’s the identical Japanese dashi-based broth utilized in sizzling soup, however extra concentrated in taste. It’s tremendous useful to make a giant batch of simple do-it-yourself tsuyu as we use it typically within the summertime!
I at all times maintain 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 completely different directions on the right way 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. Comply with 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. If you happen to’re not sure, attempt diluting the focus with water and style it.
Should-Have Garnishes
I really like conserving issues easy by including some chopped scallions and grated ginger to the tsuyu dipping sauce to serve with the chilly somen.
You can too add julienned shiso (perilla leaves) or myoga (Japanese ginger) if yow will discover them at Japanese grocery shops. The dipping sauce is gentle but extremely fragrant.
Non-compulsory Somen Toppings
To make the meal extra filling, you’ll be able to serve the somen noodles with numerous toppings. Listed here are some enjoyable concepts:
Proteins
Veggies and Mushrooms
- Cherry tomatoes
- Julienned cucumber
- Blanched and sliced okra
- Simmered shiitake mushrooms
Garnishes
Find out how to Serve Somen Noodles
After rinsing the noodles underneath chilly working water, you’ll be able to 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 proper)
- Possibility 3: Serve the drained noodles with ice cubes in particular person plates/bowls. You can too 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, decide possibility #1 or possibility #3. If you’re serving this meal for a bigger crowd (consider it as a DIY somen occasion!), possibility #2 could be a sensible choice, so you’ll be able to decide 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.
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Japanese Chilly Somen Noodles
Craving a light-weight 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 referred to as tsuyu. Optionally, you’ll be able to add numerous greens and proteins to this cooling dish to make it a extra filling meal. {Vegan Adaptable}
Components
For the Simmered Shiitake Topping (non-obligatory)
Stop your display screen from going darkish
Directions
To Make the Dipping Sauce
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I like to recommend making Selfmade Mentsuyu for one of the best taste, however you can even use store-bought mentsuyu. Most are concentrated, and each model has barely completely different directions on the right way to dilute it. I clarify a bit extra on my mentsuyu pantry web page. The model I exploit recommends a dilution ratio of 1 half mentsuyu to 3 components water, or 1 to three.
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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 definitely don‘t must 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
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Minimize 1 inexperienced onion/scallion into skinny slices and grate the ginger (I exploit a ceramic grater) and put them individually in small bowls. I extremely advocate shiso leaves (perilla/ooba) and myoga ginger for somen, if yow will discover them. Thinly slice and place them in separate small bowls. Grate a small quantity of daikon radish (non-obligatory), gently squeeze a few of the liquid out, then place in a small bowl. Pour some toasted white sesame seeds (non-obligatory) right into a small bowl. Collect all of the garnishes on a tray, if desired, and put aside.
To Put together the Toppings (non-obligatory)
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To make the meal extra filling, you’ll be able to put together toppings similar to rooster chashu, simmered shiitake mushrooms (see subsequent step), blanched okra, toasted aburaage, shredded skinny omelette (see Find out how to Make Kinshi Tamago), julienned cucumbers, thinly sliced Satsuma age, and cherry tomatoes. Discover extra concepts within the weblog publish.
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To make the simmered shiitake mushrooms, take away the stems from 8–10 shiitake mushrooms. Minimize 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’s virtually no liquid left. Put aside to chill.
To Cook dinner the Somen Noodles
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Deliver a big pot of water to a boil. (You don’t 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 cook dinner very quick, so it‘s essential to work shortly.
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When the water is boiling, add the somen unexpectedly, spreading the noodles across the pot in a round movement to separate every strand (I exploit a movement just like opening a Japanese folding fan).
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Cook dinner within the boiling water, stirring sometimes with chopsticks, for 1 to 1½ minutes or based on the bundle directions. If it seems just like the water might boil over, add a small quantity of chilly water to the pot. When the noodles are executed, drain them in a colander. Tip: I barely undercook my noodles to maintain their springy texture.
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Subsequent, rinse the somen underneath chilly working water. As soon as the noodles are cool sufficient to deal with, rinse them along with your fingers as in case you are washing your garments. Knead and therapeutic massage the noodles to eliminate the surplus oil. If you end, switch the somen to a big bowl of iced water with a number of ice cubes.
To Serve
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Chilly Somen Noodles are sometimes served household type in Japan, both chilled in iced water or on a tray. To serve in iced water, maintain the chilled noodles of their giant bowl of water with loads of ice cubes. Adorn with inexperienced leaves such because the Japanese maple I used right here. Serve the tsuyu dipping sauce in small particular person bowls or cups.
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Alternatively, you’ll be able to serve the somen on particular person plates or a big serving platter. With chopsticks, neatly roll the chilled noodles into small bunches and organize in your plates/platter (I used a Japanese bamboo serving basket). Place the bowl or tray of somen within the heart of the desk together with the garnishes and non-obligatory toppings you ready earlier. To eat, sprinkle a number of garnishes and toppings into your tsuyu, dip some somen in your sauce, and revel in.
To Retailer
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You’ll be able to maintain the leftovers in an hermetic container and retailer within the fridge for as much as 2 days. If the noodles stick to one another underneath refrigeration, run them underneath chilly water to loosen them up earlier than serving. Ideally, it is best to boil the noodles proper earlier than serving so they will not lose their completely springy texture.
Diet
Diet Information
Japanese Chilly Somen Noodles
Quantity per Serving
% Day by day Worth*
* % Day by day Values are primarily based on a 2000 calorie food regimen.
Editor’s Be aware: The publish was initially revealed on August 14, 2013. It was up to date with new photos, content material, and a revised recipe on September 5, 2022, and republished on July 2, 2024.
