Somen Salad
Every party for as long as I can remember, somen salad was front and center on the buffet table. The noodle salad was powerfully bright thanks to the yellow eggs, red char siu, and pink kamaboko fish cake to top it all off.
Prepping the ingredients is the only time consuming part of this salad. Small “matchstick”-like pieces, they are easy to eat, but take time to cut.
This recipe is an old family favorite and whenever it’s served, it doesn’t last long. The freshness of the flavors and the memories it brings back, keeps guests coming back for more. Simple to assemble and such a light dish, you’ll find you might just want to eat the whole tray yourself.
Somen Salad
Ingredients:
dressing ingredients:
1/8 cup vegetable oil
1/8 cup sesame oil
3 Tablespoons vinegar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon salt
salad ingredients:
3 bundles somen noodles, boiled
1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
1-1/2 cups char siu (barbequed pork), sliced into matchsticks
2 eggs, fried crepe style; sliced in thin strips
3/4 of a kamaboko (fish cake), sliced in strips
2 stalks green onion, chopped
Instructions:
In a bowl whisk together vegetable oil, sesame oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, sesame seeds, and salt.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the somen noodles. Boil the somen in water for just 2 minutes. Immediately rinse in cold water and set aside.
In a 9″ x 13″ pan start layering the ingredients, starting with the cooled, drained noodles. Then the lettuce, followed by the char siu, eggs, kamaboko, and green onion.
Pour the dressing over the salad to serve.
Thanks for sharing this recipe Jenn! I made it and the family loved it. I did learn a lesson though — don’t cook the somen noodles without separating them… haha.. I had big gobs/tubes of somen noodles. 🙂