Japan has no shortage of cold noodle dishes, but this creamy tantan somen might just be my favorite summer hybrid. Rooted in Japan's love for chilled noodles in summer, it draws inspiration from the bold, nutty flavors of Sichuan-style tantanmen.
The soup is a chilled soy milk broth enriched with toasted sesame seeds and mellow white Saikyo miso. It's cool and creamy yet packed with umami. Using a high-speed blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec makes preparation easy, but if you're working with a less powerful model, pre-grind the sesame seeds and katsuobushi into a powder before adding them to the soup.
The soup is served with layers of contrasting tastes and textures. A nest of silky somen noodles is topped with savory-sweet-spicy niku miso made from chicken and hoisin sauce. Crisp julienned cucumbers, fresh scallions, nutty sesame seeds, and a drizzle of chili oil come together in a symphony of contrasts: hot meets cold, crunchy meets creamy, soothing meets spicy.
What I love most about this recipe is its flexibility. Want more heat? Extra protein? A splash of vinegar? Go ahead and make it your own!
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Kathy Stroup says
Eating this for lunch. So delicious and refreshing! Slurping these tiny noodles is so fun! The meat is so flavorful and not too spicy. The broth is creamy but light. The cucumbers, scallions and sesame seeds round the dish out perfectly. I think I might try a version of this with peanuts in the broth and chopped as a topping. Thanks for another winner!🤩🍜💖
Marc Matsumoto says
Yay! I'm glad you got to try this! The method and broth works with any kind of Japanese noodle too.