Next up in my Japanese Summer Noodle Series is one of my favorites: SOMEN! These cold noodles dipped in tsuyu, a flavorful dipping broth, is delicious and refreshing.
Cold somen is easily one of my favorite meals to eat when it’s hot out. It’s cold (and kept cold while you’re eating thanks to iced water), the noodles are light, and so refreshing!
What are somen noodles?
Somen are super thin Japanese noodles made of wheat flour. Because they’re so thin, they cook extremely quickly (2-3 minutes). They have a very light flavor, soft texture, and due to their thinness, they don’t feel heavy at all!
While there are many ways to enjoy somen noodles, my favorite way is probably the most “basic” which is dipping the noodles into tsuyu, which is a dipping broth. Tsuyu broth is used in a variety of ways and numerous different kinds of Japanese noodle dishes. Tsuyu can be served both hot and cold, but in the summer, I always opt for cold!
Tsuyu can be bought premade and bottled which makes making noodles even easier since you don’t have to make tsuyu from scratch. However for this recipe, I included my somen tsuyu recipe in case you do want to make it from scratch!
There are a variety of things you can mix into your tsuyu to add extra flavor and texture. My favorite is wasabi and green onions, but here are some other ideas:
- wasabi
- green onions (chopped)
- grated ginger
- shiso (julienned)
- myoga (Japanese ginger)
- cucumbers
- kinishi tamago (shredded egg crepes)
Basically you can put whatever you want in there!
Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter and keep up with all the latest updates on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, and TikTok!
Cold Somen Noodles / そうめん
Ingredients
- 2 bundles (servings) somen noodles dried
- water for boiling noodles
- water for ice water
- ice
- green onions sliced
- wasabi
- grated ginger
Tsuyu
- 1 cup water
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp mirin
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp dashi bottled concentrate or granules
Instructions
Tsuyu
- In a small pot over medium heat, combine all tsuyu ingredients. Mix well until boiling.
- Remove from heat and allow it to cool down (either to room temperature or in the fridge)
Somen
- Prepare a serving bowl with water and ice to create an ice bath for the noodles (the noodles will be served like this)
- Boil water in a pot over medium high heat.
- Once boiling, add in the somen noodles. Cook according to package instructions.
- Once cooked, drain the noodles and immediately transfer into the prepared serving bowl with the ice bath.
- Pour the prepared tsuyu into a small bowl or soba cup.
- Put topping ingredients onto a plate.
- To enjoy: put topping ingredients of choice into your tsuyu and mix. Take some somen straight out of the ice bath and dip directly into your tsuyu cup and eat. Repeat and consume!
Notes
Shop this post:
Two Chrysanthemums Sauce Plate
Karu:ecle Blue Soba Cup
Karu:ecle Blue Bowl
Tsuyu / 本つゆ
Somen Noodles / 素麺
Soy Sauce / 醬油
Mirin / みりん
Dashi / だし
For a discount on Musubi Kiln items, use code SW
More items can be shopped in my Pantry, my Tools, or my Amazon shop.
*Links and products on this page may be affiliate links. There is no extra cost and it allows me to keep creating free content for you!
