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Sōmen Recipe: How to Make Homemade Sōmen Noodles

Name: Sōmen Recipe: How to Make Homemade Sōmen Noodles
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: ¼ cup *mentsuyu* ([dashi](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/dashi-explained) soy sauce, available at Asian grocery stores); 2 bundles (about 7 ounces) of dried *sōmen* noodles; 1 bud *myoga* (Japanese ginger), thinly sliced for garnish (optional); 2 *shiso* leaves, for garnish; 4 green onions, thinly sliced for garnish; 1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds, for garnish

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Apr 23, 2022 • 1 min read

Learn how to make cold Japanese sōmen noodles at home.

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What Are Sōmen Noodles?

Sōmen are Japanese noodles made by pulling wheat dough into long, thin strips. This style of preparation differs from the method of rolling and cutting used for soba, ramen, and udon. The traditional drying and aging process for making sōmen can take months, and so the noodles are coated with vegetable oil between stretches to prevent them from drying out. Dried sōmen noodles are sold at most Asian grocery stores.

Typically served hiyashi (chilled) with sauce, sōmen is a refreshing food during Japan's hot summers; some Japanese restaurants provide nagashi sōmen—an eating style that involves catching the noodles with chopsticks as they flow down a bamboo water slide. Sōmen served as a hot soup is known as nyumen.

Cold Sōmen Noodles Recipe

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makes

prep time

15 min

total time

30 min

cook time

15 min

Ingredients

¼ cup mentsuyu (dashi soy sauce, available at Asian grocery stores)
2 bundles (about 7 ounces) of dried sōmen noodles
1 bud myoga (Japanese ginger), thinly sliced for garnish (optional)
2 shiso leaves, for garnish
4 green onions, thinly sliced for garnish
1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds, for garnish

1
Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil.
2
Dilute mentsuyu with ¼ to ½ cup cold water. Set aside.
3
Cook noodles in boiling water according to package directions.
4
Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl of cold water and ice cubes.
5
Drain the cooked noodles into a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water. Nestle the mesh strainer into the bowl of ice water to cool the noodles.
6
When completely cool, drain the noodles again, squeezing out any excess water with your hands.
7
Divide among serving bowls. Pour the diluted mentsuyu over the noodles and garnish with myoga, shiso leaves, green onions, and sesame seeds.

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