Somen (Japanese Cold Noodles)

Duties a light and refreshing meal? Try Somen! These thin, delicate and silky noodles are perfect for the warm summer days. The noodles are generally served cold with a variety of condiments and a tasty salted dive sauce. The recipe is very simple and noodles are ready in a few minutes!

What are the Sopian noodles?

The Sopian noodles are a type of subtle and delicate Japanese Noodle based on wheat flour. They are known for their silky consistency and a thin flavor and generally have a diameter of about 1 mm. Unlike the thicker noodles such as Udon, Soba or Ramen, the Sopian noodles are incredibly beautiful and cook in a couple of minutes. Traditionally, the noodles were served for a cold refreshing dish during the heat in the summer months. A variety of condiments such as sliced ​​omelette, ham, shiitake and cucumber mushrooms are served with the Somen together with a light and cold immersion sauce. The sauce, called Mentsuyu, is made with dashi, soy sauce, Mirin and sugar that creates a salad but slightly sweet umami flavor.

Although it is mostly a cold summer dish, the noodles can also be served warm in soups during the colder seasons called NYUMEN.

Main ingredients necessary to make Entran?

Noodles Somen

The stellar ingredient is the same noodles. These are very thin white noodles made mainly of wheat flour. They are usually sold dried in bundles of packages. The weight of the bundles differs depends on the Somen brand. About 100 g is a good portion for a person. You can find Somen in Asian and Japanese food stores. It could also be available in the international section of some larger supermarkets.

Tsuyu immersion sauce

The traditional immersion sauce for Somen is called Tsuyu. Generally it consists of:

Condiments

• Mushroom shiny shiitake
• Kinshi Tamago (thin egg omelette)
• Cucumbers julienned
• Thin sliced ​​ham
• Pieces of gombo
• Mini cherry tomatoes
• Slices of chicken
• Aburaage (fried tofu)

Gaskets

• Chopped green onions (denial)
• Grated ginger
• Nori (algae) shredded
• Grated Wasabi
• Myoga grated
• Shiso Green Green Leaves
• Sesame seeds

Preparation of Somen

1. Start by preparing the Tsuyu immersion sauce. This light Umami soup is made with Japanese dashi broth, soybean sauce and Mirin. Add a little sugar even if you like sweeter. Mensuyu can also be purchased pre-fetched in stores e online. However, be sure to follow the instructions of the package as it may be necessary to dilute.
2. Prepare condiments and contours such as omelette, sliced ​​ham, chopped green onions, grated ginger, grated Nori, etc.
3. Cook Noodles Somen. Boil 1.5 l of water in a large pot (as a guide 1 l of water is required per 100 g of Sopne) and add the noodles. When the noodles start floating, add about 1/2 cup of water to prevent them from boiling. When the noodles start floating, turning off the fire. The Sopian noodles cook very quickly for how thin they are. Require only 2-3 minutes of boiling in a pot. Make sure to mix from time to time during cooking to prevent the noodles from getting attached. Or boil according to the instructions of the package. Drain and rinse the cooked noodles under cold water (to remove any excess vegetable oil used on the noodles during production) and cool them in an ice bath.
4. Serve the cold noodles in a bowl with ice together with the cold tsuyu and your choice of condiments and gaskets.

Variations with Yakumi gasket

Somen noodles have a delicious flavor with vegetables and proteins, but it can also be served in a simple way with only a few simple outlines. The contours add a nice bite and a touch of extra flavor to the Tsuyu immersion sauce. The best way to serve with contours is adding them directly to Tsuyu. This makes the immersion sauce even more tasty and aromatic. You can use finely chopped shallot and grated ginger or thin slices or Shiso leaf (if you can find them).

How to serve the cold noodles of Somen

In Japan, Somen is often enjoyed as part of Nagashi Somen (Flowing Somen) during the summer festivals, where the noodles are sent bamboo slides with cold running water for people to be captured with their berries. It is a fun and refreshing way to enjoy this simple dish if you ever have the opportunity to do it in Japan. At home, you can serve the noodles in a bowl with ice to keep everything cold and fresh. Everyone should have their own bowl of tsuyu broth in which to immerse the noodles and a variety of condiments can be positioned on a dish so that everyone can choose what they want.