Cold Somen Noodles | With Shiso, Tomatoes and Chicken 🍅
One of my favorite things to eat in the summer is cold somen. These Japanese noodles are light and refreshing and combining these with shiso, tomato and a bit of sesame oil makes for an easy and tasty meal. But wait… There’s more! We’re adding chicken too. But this is no ordinary chicken… This chicken’ll be cooked in sake with a little salt, which enhances both flavor and texture. Prepare to be amazed!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 people 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients
Scale
Sake steamed chicken and noodles
- 4 bundles somen noodles (1 per person)
- 10–12 whole shiso leaves (cut into thin strips)
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes (sliced in half)
- 1 bunch green onions (chopped)
- 2 Tbsp sesame seeds (toasted to garnish)
- 1 lb chicken breast (steamed in 1/2 cup sake with salt)
Somen broth
- 3/4 cup dashi broth
- 1/2 cup soy sauce (soy sauce)
- 1/2 cup mirin (mirin)
- 2 teaspoons Ginger (grated, (straining optional))
- 2–3 Tbsp sesame oil (+ more to taste)
Instructions
Somen noodles
- Cook somen noodles according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, prepare shiso, tomatoes, green onions and sesame seeds. Set aside.
- Once noodles are done, run under cold water with ice to chill.
- Drain thoroughly and set aside.
Sake steamed chicken
- Pound chicken with a meat tenderizer or rolling pin.
- Prepare a large shallow pan and add two dashes of salt with 1/2 cup of sake.
- Add the chicken and bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat immediately and cover. Flip approximately 3-5 minutes and steam until cooked through.
- Remove from pan and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Once cool, tear or cut into small bite size pieces.
- Note: for extra chicken flavor retain liquid and add to noodles later.
Somen broth and assembly
- Combine all ingredients in large pyrex and set aside.
- Serve using a large bowl or plate, you can layer or mix the noodles with the other ingredients.
- Add noodles, tomatoes, shiso, and top with the chicken and broth. (+ chicken-sake juice if desired)
- Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and enjoy!!
Notes
Sake steamed chicken can be prepared 1-2 days ahead and refrigerated!