Somen (素麺, literally "pure / plain noodle") is simple white Japanese noodle made from wheat flour and salt, preserved dried with vegetable oil (not so visible or feel-able though). In the definition by JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard), somen are thin noodles with diameter less than 1.3mm, hiya mugi 1.3-1.7mm and udon with diameter bigger than 1.7mm.
In my previous post, I have introduced the simplest recipes to make somen:
In this post, I would like to introduce some colourful vegetarian somen recipes, in which we do not use tsuyu.
1. Simple combos
Ingredients:
(1). Main:
a. Somen (Japanese wheat-based silk noodle), 100g of dried noodle / 1 serving.
b. Water + Ice cubes, for cooling the noodle.
(2). Dipping sauce:
a. Shoyu (Japanese soy sauce, made from only soy bean, salt, grains, vegetable based ingredients).
The picture on the right shows a sample of Kikkoman shoyu that can be found at nearly any supermarket or convenient store in Japan.
b. White table sugar.
c. Cool water.
(3). Common condiments:
a. Ooba (green shiso, beefsteak plant) 3 medium to big leaves.
b. Green onion.
c. Japanese ginger (myoga).
(4). Firm dietary fiber combo.
a. Fresh carrot 10g
b. Fresh cucumber 10g
c. Boiled hijiki seaweed 5-10g
(5). Wafuu (Japanese style) sticky dietary fiber combo.
a. Mekabu seaweed, 10g, not using the tsuyu sauce pack that comes along.
b. Natto (fermented soybean), 20g, not using the tsuyu sauce pack that comes along.
c. Boiled okra (lady finger), 1 fruit.
(6). Yofuu (Western style)
a. Fresh avocado, 10g (1-2 thin slices from a small avocado).
b. Fresh cherry tomato, 1 fruit.
Cooking steps:
Step 1: Wash, strain and cut the vegetables. Beat the natto with karashi paste but do not use the tsuyu sauce (which usually contains fish!).
Step 2: Boil the water (1L for 1 serving, 1.2L for 2 servings etc.), then boil the noodle at medium or low heat for the time written on the pack. In my case, I boil for 1.5 minutes at medium heat. Watch over the foams. Use chopsticks to check and prevent sticking.
Step 3: Bring boiled noodle to the strainer, rinse in cool water for a few seconds. Then put the strainer with noodle into a bowl of iced water.
Step 4: Strain water from the noodle, at the same time pull the noodle straight very gently.
Then, make a small round-shaped mass of noodle ready for serving.
100g of dried noodle after boiled can be gained as 250g. In this recipe, make 3 rounds of noodle.
Step 5: Making the dipping sauce by mixing ingredients of (2) by the following ratio:
+ 6g of white table sugar.
+ 2 table spoons (30ml) of shoyu sauce.
+ 90ml cool drinking water.
Adjust to taste.
Serve in a cup or small bowl for dipping noodle.
Step 6: Plating.
Put the ooba leaf at bottom, then put the round of somen on it, then put the toppings (4), (5), (6) on the noodle.
Serve cool as that, with some green chopped onion and myoga!
2. Just a little fancy version
Vegetarian ingredients:
1. Somen
2. Green shiso (ooba, beef steak plant)
3. Green onion, sliced into small pieces + scallions' white part sliced long and thinly.
4. Japanese ginger myoga
5. Japanese thin fried tofu (usuage, oage), sliced thinly
6. Boiled wakame seaweed
7. Shoyu soy sauce + ponzu dark citrus vinegar + white sugar for dip sauce
8. Some roasted white sesame seeds for topping
(9. A little wasabi if you like it)
Make dip sauce almost like in Step 5 of chapter 1 above plus ponzu, as following:
+ 6g of white table sugar.
+ 2 table spoons (30ml) of shoyu sauce.
+ 1 table spoon (15ml) of ponzu sauce.
+ 75ml cool drinking water.
Adjust to taste.
Serve in a cup or small bowl for dipping noodle.
Plating:
Make round somen stocks and put each of such somen stocks on 1 big or 2 medium shiso leaves. Topping with a little green onion and sesame seeds.
Mix wakame with sesame seeds, then plate ingredients 3-6 and on a little plate separately from somen.
Serve cool.
Hope you enjoy! Bon appetit!