A light and refreshing Japanese dish featuring thin wheat noodles served ice-cold with a flavorful mentsuyu dipping sauce, perfect for a summer meal or palate cleanser.
Ice Somen Chilled Noodles
A light and refreshing Japanese dish featuring thin wheat noodles served ice-cold with a flavorful mentsuyu dipping sauce, perfect for a summer meal or palate cleanser.
Ingredients
- 200 g Somen noodles
- 4 cups Water for cooking
- 2 cups Ice cubes for serving
- 1/2 cup Mentsuyu concentrated noodle dipping sauce
- 1/2 cup Cold water for mentsuyu dilution
- 2 tbsp Green onions finely chopped
- 1 tsp Fresh ginger grated
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add somen noodles and cook for 2-3 minutes, or according to package directions, until al dente.
- Immediately drain the noodles and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to remove excess starch and cool them down completely.
- Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Place the rinsed noodles into the ice bath to chill them further, ensuring they are perfectly firm and refreshing.
- In a small bowl, combine mentsuyu concentrate with an equal amount of cold water (or to taste, according to mentsuyu package instructions) to make the dipping sauce.
- Drain the chilled noodles from the ice bath. Serve the cold somen noodles in individual bowls, ideally over fresh ice, with the mentsuyu dipping sauce on the side.
- Garnish the dipping sauce with finely chopped green onions and grated fresh ginger. Dip small portions of noodles into the sauce before eating.
Notes
For an authentic experience, serve noodles in a large bowl over plenty of ice. You can add finely shredded cucumber, a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds, or thin slices of shiso leaf to the dipping sauce for extra flavor and texture. Ensure the mentsuyu is well chilled before serving.
