Somen Salad
- 1 pkg (9 oz) somen noodles
- 1 head iceberg lettuce, slivered
- 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 carrot, slivered
- 1/2 block (7 oz size) kamaboko (Japanese steamed fish cake), diced
- 1/2 pkg (6 oz size) tempura kamaboko (Japanese fried fish cake), diced
- 1/2 lb char siu (Chinese sweet roasted pork), minced
- 1/2 cup minced green onions
- 1/4 cup salad oil
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sesame seed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cook noodles according to package directions. Rinse under cold water and drain well.
Place small bundles of noodles in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch serving dish. Top with lettuce, cucumber, carrot, kamaboko, char siu, and green onions. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over salad. Makes 10 to 12 servings.
Somen Salad - Vegetarian Version
- 1 pkg (9 oz) somen
- 1 egg, beaten
- lettuce leaves, shredded
- sprouts (mixed deli or alfalfa sprouts)
- watercress
- carrots, slivered
- green onions, thinly sliced
Cook noodles according to package directions. Rinse under cold water and drain well. Place in large serving dish. Fry egg in a thin sheet; slice into thin strips. Set aside.
Top with lettuce, sprouts, watercress, and carrots. Garnish with green onions and fried egg.
Dressing
- 1/4 cup salad oil
- 3 tablespoons Japanese rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
Combine in jar. Cover and shake to mix. Pour dressing over salad when ready to serve. Makes 10 to 12 servings.
Iris’ Tips for Success
Japanese rice vinegar (su) might be hard to find. Some stores carry Chinese rice vinegar but it’s different – it’s stronger and less mild than Japanese rice vinegar.
If you find that you have to use the Chinese rice vinegar, try cutting it in half and then taste the dressing. If the dressing needs more vinegar, try adding one tablespoon at a time. Once we ran out of Japanese rice vinegar and didn’t have time to run around and had to use the Chinese rice vinegar instead. When we tried it for a double recipe (we always double the recipe) using four tbsps Chinese rice vinegar worked okay (substituted for six tbsps Japanese rice vinegar).
Also for sugar, we usually use demerara or turbinado (has a better flavor than if white sugar is used). For soy sauce (‘shoyu’) the recipe doesn’t say Japanese but it’s pretty well the only shoyu (used in Hawaii) so the shoyu should also be Japanese. Lots of stores in Vancouver carry the Chinese soy but it’s also different from Japanese. Probably the most common Japanese soy in the stores here is Kikkomon but if you can get Yamasa it’s better (Yamasa is less saltier and has, IMHO, a better flavor than Kikkomon).
Most of the time we get our stuff from Fujiya (in Richmond) but their main store is in Vancouver on Commercial Drive (http://www.fujiya.ca/.