Japanese Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Somen
Chilled thin wheat noodles served with a cold dipping sauce, scallion, ginger, and myoga, a refreshing Japanese summer dish.
Contains common allergens
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Good to know
- Ready in under 30 minutes
Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: 30-minute meals
Instructions
6 steps- 1
Bring a large pot of water to a vigorous, rolling boil. Do not add salt to the water, as somen noodles are already salted.
- 2
Scatter the somen noodles into the boiling water. Cook for exactly 1.5 to 2 minutes, stirring gently with chopsticks to prevent sticking.
- 3
Immediately drain the noodles into a fine-mesh strainer.
- 4
Run the noodles under cold running water. Using your hands, vigorously rub the noodles together to wash away the surface starch; this step is crucial for achieving a clean, slick texture.
- 5
Transfer the rinsed noodles into a large glass serving bowl filled with cold water and ice cubes to keep them perfectly chilled.
- 6
Pour the cold mentsuyu into individual small dipping cups. Serve alongside small plates of grated ginger, chopped scallions, and myoga for diners to mix into their sauce before dipping the icy noodles.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
80/100
Good fit for most families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving5
Calories
0 g
Protein
1 g
Carbs
0 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Somen are very thin wheat noodles served ice-cold with a dipping sauce, the quintessential dish of a Japanese summer. Sometimes they are even floated down a bamboo flume (nagashi somen) to be caught with chopsticks, but at home they are simply chilled and dipped.
Listahan note
This version keeps it cold and clean: a brief boil in unsalted water, a vigorous starch rinse, and an ice bath, with the aromatics served on the side to mix into the sauce.
Technique cues
- Do not salt the cooking water; somen are already salted in their making and extra salt makes them mushy.
- Rub the noodles hard under cold water to strip the surface starch, which is what keeps them slick rather than gluey.
- Serve them in ice water so they stay genuinely cold; warm somen lose their refreshing point.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Chill the mentsuyu and prep the aromatics while the water boils; the noodles cook in two minutes.
- Make-ahead
- Make the mentsuyu ahead; boil and ice the noodles close to serving so they stay cold and firm.
- Leftover move
- Toss leftover cold somen with a little sauce and vegetables for a quick noodle salad.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Rinse the pot and strainer right away before the fine noodles and starch stick.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
Dried somen noodles
The dish
Purpose: Their delicate thinness and quick cook are the whole character.
Handling: Boil only 1.5 to 2 minutes, then rinse and ice.
Adaptation: Thin wheat noodles are essential; do not substitute thick ones.
Cold mentsuyu
The dipping sauce
Purpose: A chilled soy-dashi-mirin sauce is what each cold bite is dipped into.
Handling: Serve cold in individual cups.
Adaptation: A homemade dashi-soy-mirin blend works; tamari-based for gluten-free, though somen themselves contain wheat.
Ginger and myoga
The aromatics
Purpose: Grated ginger and sliced myoga add a fresh, sharp lift to the simple sauce.
Handling: Serve on the side for diners to add to taste.
Adaptation: Scallion and a little citrus zest can stand in for myoga.
Technique notes
- Unsalted water is the rule for somen; the noodles carry their own salt.
- Watch the pot closely, since thin somen overcook in seconds and the water foams fast.
- Keep serving them over ice; the cold is half the dish.
Ingredient swaps
- Gluten-free direction
- Use thin rice vermicelli with a tamari-based mentsuyu, since wheat somen are not gluten-free.
- Fish-free, vegetarian direction
- Use a kombu-shiitake-based mentsuyu instead of a bonito dashi.
- Heartier direction
- Add toppings like cooked shrimp, egg crepe strips, or vegetables to make it a fuller meal.
Serve alongside
- Vegetable tempura
- Agedashi tofu
- Japanese pickles
- Edamame
- Cold barley tea
- Green tea
- Chilled sake
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Refrigerate cooked somen up to 1 day; they soften over time.
- Keep mentsuyu refrigerated up to a week in a sealed jar.
- Do not freeze cooked somen; they turn to mush.
Equipment
- Large pot
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Glass serving bowl for ice water
- Small dipping cups
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