Somen noodles are thin delicate Japanese noodles that cook up quickly. (Don’t confuse them with soba noodles.) Somen noodles are often served cold.
Photo: Ellie Likes Cooking
1⁄4 cup soy sauce, preferably a Japanese bottling
1⁄4 cup mirin
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon Asian red chili paste, such as sambal oelek
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1⁄2 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
14 ounces dried somen noodles
1 cup julienned green pepper
1 cup julienned carrot
1 cup shredded green cabbage Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
Whisk the soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, chili paste, garlic, and ginger in a large bowl.
Cook the somen noodles in a large saucepan of water according to the package directions.
Drain in a colander set in the sink and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking.
Drain well, add to the soy sauce mixture, and toss gently.
Bring about 1⁄4 cup water to a boil in the same saucepan that had cooked the noodles.
Add the green peppers, carrots, and cabbage; cover, reduce to low heat, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
Drain in that colander; rinse with cool tap water to chill.
Drain well, shaking the colander over the sink a few times.
Add the vegetables to the noodles and sauce; toss well.
Serve at once or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
Garnish with sliced scallions before serving.
