Cold Tomato Somen Noodles
This Cold Tomato Somen Noodles recipe is all about simplicity and seasonality—thin, delicate somen noodles served with fresh, bright tomatoes and a savoury sauce. It’s tomato-forward and the kind of meal that lets peak summer tomatoes shine.
When summer tomatoes are at their sweetest and the heat makes even turning on the stove feel like a chore, cold tomato somen is exactly what you want. It comes together quickly, making it perfect for lazy lunches or light summer dinners. I like adding a jammy egg to add protein for a well-rounded meal.
Somen is a very thin Japanese noodle made of wheat flour. It is often served cold in Japan like this recipe. Calling this recipe somen noodles is duplicative like saying spaghetti pasta or chai tea I suppose, but done for clarity for those who may not be familiar with this specific Japanese noodle :)
Their smooth, silky texture doesn’t overpower subtle broths or seasonal ingredients like tomatoes.
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Drop any questions you have about the recipe in the comments section below. As always, I’m always happy to help!
Eat well and be well,
Sonia
what you’ll need:
Ingredients for Cold Tomato Somen Noodles
Tomatoes - this dish is very tomato-forward and sings when made with peak summer tomatoes! I don’t make this with off-season tomatoes.
Somen - delicate and thin Japanese wheat noodles chill quickly, have a smooth, silky texture, and don’t overpower subtle broths or seasonal ingredients. Their lightness complements the clean, bright flavours of chilled tomatoes.
Garlic - grate amount to your taste but keep in mind, since the sauce is not cooked, a little goes a long way
Soy sauce - for umami
Mirin - a core Japanese ingredient that adds depth of flavour and a hint of sweetness. See Tips and FAQs for more about mirin
Honey (or sugar) - enhances the tomato sweetness and balances the other tastes in the sauce
Rice vinegar - brightens the dish with a touch of acidity
Sesame oil - adds rich and nutty aroma and a little slickness in the sauce
Pinch of salt - to briefly marinade the tomatoes and bring out its juices to mingle with the sauce
For serving: Jammy egg and Japanese hot mustard (optional)
steps at a glance:
How to make Cold Tomato Somen Noodles (scroll down to recipe card for the full recipe and ingredient amounts)
Bring pot of water to a boil
Score an “x” on the bottom tomatoes and blanch in boiling water for about a minute or when the skin begins to buckle and peel back at the cuts. Place into an ice bath and peel skin off. Cut peeled tomatoes into thin wedges. Toss with a sprinkle of salt and let marinade
Mix sauce ingredients together: grated garlic, soy sauce, mirin, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil and water
Cook somen noodles according to package instructions. Rinse well to cool and rid excess starch from the noodles. Place into serving bowl
Spoon marinaded tomatoes along with juices on top of noodles. Pour sauce all over and serve with jammy egg and optional Japanese hot mustard
Enjoy!
Tips & FAQs
What is somen?
Somen is a very thin Japanese noodle made simply of wheat flour, water and salt. It is often served cold in Japan like this recipe. Their smooth, silky texture doesn’t overpower subtle broths or seasonal ingredients like tomatoes. They are sold in dry stick form in the noodle section of any East Asian grocery store and places like Costco. I use Korean or Taiwanese versions of the same dry thin wheat noodles interchangeably with Japanese somen.
What is Japanese mirin?
Mirin is similar to sake in that it is a rice wine but with higher sugar and less alcohol. The real deal mirin is made from sweet rice and rice koji. That is what you should look for in the ingredients list, along with water and sea salt. Ideally, avoid the imitation version (aji-mirin) containing added sugar, glucose syrup and/or corn syrup. You can find mirin at Japanese/East Asian grocery stores, at Whole Foods, online (e.g. Amazon) and at certain health food stores. I’ve had a harder time finding proper mirin in the international aisle of well-stocked grocery stores which tend to stock aji-mirin. Eden Foods (an American company) and Koyo Foods (a Canadian company) both make organic mirin available in the U.S. and Canada. If you can’t find mirin, substitute equal parts sake and sugar.
What type of tomatoes should I use for this dish?
For cold dishes like this where tomatoes are only blanched and not cooked down, you’ll want tomatoes that are sweet, low in acidity, and bursting with flavor when raw. I used vine-ripened tomatoes but other great options include Campari, Roma (plum), Sun Gold or Cherry Tomatoes. That said, I lean towards the slightly larger tomatoes (vine-ripened, Campari, Roma) because it’s less work to peel compared to the small tomatoes.
Make in advance
Cook somen just before serving. Don’t pre-mix somen with the sauce because the noodles will get soggy and lose their texture over time
Both the marinated tomatoes and sauce can be made in advance and kept chilled in the fridge until use. The tomatoes can be kept for 2-3 days and the sauce can be kept up to 1 week
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Recipe Notes for Cold Tomato Somen Noodles
Make in Advance – Both the marinated tomatoes and sauce can be made in advance and kept chilled in the fridge until use. The tomatoes can be kept for 2-3 days and the sauce can be kept up to 1 week.
Cold Tomato Somen Noodles
Cold Tomato Somen Noodles
This dish is all about simplicity and seasonality—thin, delicate somen noodles served with fresh, bright tomatoes and a savoury sauce. It’s tomato-forward and the kind of meal that lets peak summer tomatoes shine.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Bring medium pot of water to a boil. Score bottom of tomatoes with an “x”. Blanch in boiling water for about 1 minute or when you see the skin buckling and starting to peel back along the cuts. Transfer tomatoes into a bowl of cold or ice water. (Note - Don’t discard the pot of boiling water – you can reuse it to cook the noodles and jammy eggs). The skins should easily peel off. Cut tomatoes into thin wedges and place in a bowl. Toss with a pinch of salt and let marinade at room temperature 15-20 minutes until juices come out.
- Meanwhile, mix sauce ingredients together and set aside in the fridge to chill.
- Note: Both the tomatoes and sauce can be made in advance and kept chilled in the fridge until use.
- Using the same pot of water, cook somen according to package directions (usually about 3 minutes) and rinse really well under cold tap water until noodles are fully cooled and excess starch is rinsed off. Place portion(s) into serving bowl(s).
- To serve, place tomatoes on top along with the juices collected in the bowl. Top with sauce and jammy egg. If you have it, add a dab of Japanese hot mustard to the edge of the bowl to mix into the noodles while you eat (or mix it right into the sauce when you make it).
Notes
Make in Advance – Both the marinated tomatoes and sauce can be made in advance and kept chilled in the fridge until use. The tomatoes can be kept for 2-3 days and the sauce can be kept up to 1 week.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
465Fat
10 gSat. Fat
2 gCarbs
79 gFiber
6 gNet carbs
73 gSugar
30 gProtein
17 gSodium
1288 mgCholesterol
164 mgDisclaimer: nutritional information is auto-generated and should be used as an approximation.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know how it went and what you think of it. Or drop a note if you have any questions. I’m happy to help!
Hi, I’m Sonia
I share recipes inspired by my food cravings and what I make for my family. My role as a working mom of two girls, my life in Toronto Canada and my background as a Chinese immigrant from Hong Kong all inform the things I love, crave and create. This means an emphasis on wholesome recipes that are approachable for busy weeknights and fun recipes to make on weekends and for friends!
homemade food to nourish and indulge …
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