Japanese Cold Somen Noodle Recipe
This cold somen noodle recipe is a refreshing and an easy meal to make on a hot, summer day. The cold noodles are dipped in a sauce made from traditional Japanese seasonings including soy sauce, dashi, and mirin.
Ingredients
Sauce for Somen (Mentsuyu)
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp dashi
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cooking alcohol
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
Noodles
- 150 grams Japanese fine white noodles (somen) (1/3 lb) - about 1-1.5 cm diameter per person
Extras (Optional)
- green onions
- wasabi
- ginger
- sliced cucumbers
- chili sauce
Instructions
Making Mentsuyu (dipping sauce for somen)
- Add 2 cups of water to a pot
- Add 1 tsp of dashi, 0.5 tsp of salt, 1 tbsp of cooking alcohol, 2 tbsp of mirin, and 3 tbsp of soy sauce into the same pot
- Mix well a bring to a boil
- Turn off the heat and allow the dipping sauce to cool
Cooking the Noodles
- Fill a pot with ~ 3 cm of water and bring to a boil
- Add the somen (Japanese fine white noodles) into the pot
- Boil the noodles according to the package instructions (generally about 2-3 minutes)
- Occasionally stir the noodles while cooking
- Strain the water from the noodles and serve a a bowl with water and ice
Optional Toppings
- Additional topping can be prepared including sliced cucumbers, ginger, wasabi, chili sauce, and green onions. Please add these to the the dipping sauce to based on the flavors you like.
