Perfect for a New Year’s Eve Potluck or New Year’s Day Lunch
Around a dozen years ago I posted a recipe for this refreshing cold noodle salad. The recipe was created by my aunt Ruby who was a fantastic cook and it is one of my favorite dishes. This noodle dish is eye catching with its layered rainbow of bright colors. Crispy carrots, cucumbers, ham, and slivered scrambled eggs atop delicate somen noodles are tossed with a tangy umami dressing just before serving.
The dressing is a perfectly balanced combination of rice vinegar for tanginess, soy sauce for a salty umami flavor, fragrant sesame oil and neutral canola oil, sugar to balance the salty soy sauce, and ground sesame seeds for a rich nutty flavor. It smells divine as you whisk it up in the bowl.
Long ago I splurged and bought a Zojirushi sesame seed grinder after seeing it being used at a sushi restaurant. I have gotten a lot of good use from this little kitchen gadget. There are many other options for grinding sesame seeds. Small hand held grinders are available online and at some Asian markets. You can also crush the seeds in a mortar and pestle if you have one.
All the toppings should be thinly sliced. If you are using smaller Japanese cucumbers they can be julienned or sliced thinly.
A solid choice in a pinch is this Oscar Mayer ham (available at Times on Maui). It’s very easy to cut into thin strips since it is neatly stacked. Any type of thinly sliced ham will work.
Take care not to overcook the somen noodles. Drain immediately and rinse with cold water and ice cubes or place in a large bowl with ice water. The noodles should retain their springy texture and not be mushy.
Everyone will fall in love with this somen salad, and for good reason. It can be made a day in advance, is perfect for a potluck (New Year’s Eve!), is budget friendly and most of all it is plain delicious.
Tips for making the best somen salad:
*Use a large tall pot to boil the noodles as they have a tendency to foam up so you need that extra space!
*Watch over the stove when boiling the noodles and cook for exactly 3 minutes or according to package directions stirring occasionally. Immediately drain the noodles and run under cold running water with a cup of ice. Swish the noodles around the ice to cool completely. Or drain noodles and quickly place them in a large bowl of ice water. Have the ice cubes or ice bath ready before the noodles are done cooking. The noodles are very thin so any additional time they remain in the hot water means they will continue to cook.
*Slice the vegetables, egg and ham thinly so they are approximately the same size. I used packaged ham because it is so easy to slice since it is already stacked neatly. Any type of thinly sliced ham works.
*For a vegetarian version omit the ham. You can add thinly sliced pan-fried tofu strips to the salad. For a vegan version, omit the eggs and ham and add tofu as mentioned above. Or simply serve the salad with lots of crunchy veggies.
*Crispy vegetables are the key to making this noodle salad so satisfying. Quickly blanched and lightly salted bean sprouts, thinly sliced celery or daikon can be used.
*You may not need all of the dressing so it’s better to add spoonfuls as you toss the salad together.
Aunty Ruby’s Somen Salad
3-4
servingsIngredients
- Dressing
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 1/2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
4 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon ground sesame seeds
- Salad
1 package somen noodles (3 bundles, 8 ounces) somen noodles
3 cups finely sliced iceberg lettuce
2 medium carrots, julienned
2 small or 1 medium Japanese cucumber, julienned or thinly sliced (seeds removed)
4 ounces thinly sliced ham
2 large eggs, whisked and fried in a thin layer, cooled and sliced into strips (use low heat, cooked eggs should not be browned)
Finely sliced green onions (optional)
Roasted black sesame seeds for topping salad (optional)
Directions
- Combine sugar, rice vinegar and soy sauce in a medium bowl. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add canola or vegetable oil, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Set aside. The dressing can be made up to 2 days in advance. Store in the refrigerator.
- Have all the topping ingredients ready to go (vegetables, sliced ham, cooked and sliced egg). This can be done the same morning you are planning to serve the somen salad. Keep refrigerated.
- Cook the somen for exactly 3 minutes (or even a few seconds less) or according to package directions. Immediately drain and place the noodles in an ice bath or run cold water and ice cubes over the noodles to cool quickly. Drain the somen well in a colander. With a double layer of paper towels in one hand, lift some of the noodles with the other hand and gently dab off excess water that may be dripping from the noodles (don’t leave noodles on towels as they tend to stick). Continue with the rest of the noodles transferring them to a low sided serving bowl as you go. This will ensure there is no excess water in the serving bowl.
- Layer with toppings: iceberg lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, ham, egg. Sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds if using. You can chill the salad until ready to serve. The noodles should be very cold, not room temperature. If serving right away, make sure to chill the noodles in an ice bath before continuing with layering the topping ingredients. Spoon some of the dressing over the noodles right before serving. Toss, adding more as needed. The noodles should be well coated with the delicious dressing.
Notes
- Recipe can be doubled (or more) to feed a larger group of people.