Throwing something healthy at you today to kick start your week!
At least I’m pretty sure it’s healthy….it has vegetables in it. Ha. Well, we’re going with it’s semi-healthy and easy too! Somen salad, like my previous post for Andagi is a popular dish in Hawai’i. Somen salad is a cold noodle dish. Somen is a thin Japanese noodle served cold often with sides and a sauce. KK did a little party featuring these versatile noodles here. Check it out!
This is one of my favorite things to eat when it’s hot out. The cold noodles with all the little mixins make for a light and filling snack. In Hawai’i, you’ll find these in grocery store delis, at the local 7-11, and many other food establishments. I used to get these for my field trip lunches, and nowadays I make them for my non-field trip eat at my desk lunch. You can too! Or for your next quick, light dinner.
The great thing about this salad is you can substitute and change up the toppings. This allows you to not eat the same thing every day- if you decided to meal prep this like I do for my weekly lunches. Or if you just don’t like the traditional toppings swap it out for something you do like!
Traditional toppings are lettuce, scrambled eggs, cucumber, kamaboko or fish cake, some type of meat- traditionally ham, or char sui or spam. I didn’t find kamaboko yet here, but I’m on a mission- so stay tuned. I also substituted turkey as my meat cause that’s all I had- I know surprise, I don’t have a can of spam in my pantry. All this to say, use what you have or what you like. It will all work together in the end- unless you add something weird- don’t do that.
Fresh Summer Somen Salad
A easy fresh entrée to make for lunch or an quick dinner option. One that won’t heat up the kitchen and light on the stomach.
Ingredients
DRESSING
Directions
- Cook somen noodles according to package. Immediately remove from heat and strain. Run cold water over for a couple minutes to stop cooking process.
- Chop up ingredients. Traditionally in matchstick style.
- Scramble your eggs. With beaten eggs, soft scramble on low heat until almost cooked. Remove from heat to finish cooking.
- Roll your slightly cooled eggs and slice into ribbons.
- Assemble ingredients with noodles first on the bottom. Then top off with your toppings.
- Top off with desired amount of dressing.
DRESSING
- In a container or mason jar combine water and sugar, stir to dissolve.
- Combine remaining ingredients and shake or whisk vigorously.
Tips & Tricks:
- Cooking your eggs on low heat and constantly stirring makes for light fluffy – not over cooked eggs.
- Making your dressing in a mason jar is easy clean up- also a great storage container for left overs.
Now, how easy was that? The only cooking you do is cook the noodles and eggs. Everything else is simply just chopping. If you can boil water, not burn scrambled eggs, and chop you’ll be just fine. Now go enjoy some refreshing, light, and easy to make somen salad! Let us know if you switched up the topping ingredients in the comment section below!
Bon appetit,
TY
