Chilled somen noodles are the perfect dish to beat the summer heat. Served ice cold with garnishes and a light and tasty dipping broth, these Japanese cold noodles are a summertime favourite.
90gDry somen noodlesone bundle of the brand I buy is 90g
Dipping sauce
1/2cupsof dashi stockyou can make this 1/2 cup water adding 1/2 tsp dashi powder
1tbssoy sauce
1tbsmirin
Toppings
1atsuyaki tamago
2okura
2radish
bean sprouts and mizuna leaves to garnish
Yakumi
ginger 3cm piece grated
1tbsfinely chopped negi shallots
wasabioptional
Instructions
Make the dipping sauce
Boil 1/2 cup of water in a small sauce pan, add 1/2 tsp dashi powder, soy sauce and mirin. Turn the heat off and cool the dipping sauce completely then refrigerate to chill.
Prepare the toppings and yakumi
Slice the atsuyaki tamago 5mm thick, slice the okura and the radish thinly, cut the bean sprouts about 2-3 cm long and wash the mizuna leaves.
Grate the ginger and cut the negi shallots finely.
Cook Somen noodle
Boil water (1- 1.5 liters or 6½ cups) in a large stock pan, add 1 bundle of somen noodle and cook for 2 minutes.
Drain the water and under the running water, wash and cool down the somen noodle.
Serve the noodle with a few ice cubes, top with sliced atsuyaki tamago, okura, radish, mizuna, bean sprouts, negi shallots, and ginger.
Pour the dipping sauce over or you can serve the noodles and dipping sauce separately.
Notes
The reason you need to wash the somen noodles under the running water after they are cooked is that in the process of making very thin dried somen noodle, the wheat flour dough is stretched with the vegetable oil.