Recipe
Just Pour and Mix! Easy Tomato Somen with Green Onion & Sesame Oil Sauce
Ingredients
- Somennoodles: 3 bundles
- Tomatoes:2
- Greenonion: 5 cm
- Brownsugar: 1 tsp
- Mentsuyu(double-concentrate): 4 tbsp
- Shisoleaves: 3–4
- Sesameoil: 1 tbsp
- Toastedwhite sesame seeds: 1 tsp
- Water:to taste (adjust as preferred)
About "Tomato Somen"
Tomato Somen is perfect for the hot summer season. Using common summer ingredients like tomatoes, green onions, and shiso leaves, this dish is completed simply by pouring on a sauce that uses brown sugar to draw out the tomatoes' natural umami. With aromatic sesame oil and mentsuyu (noodle soup base), this is an easy, minimal-cook recipe.
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Video Timestamps
Tips for Making "Tomato Somen"
-
Prep
- When mincing the green onion, make fine diagonal cuts on both sides before slicing from the end for a clean, even mince.
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Prep
- Cut the tomatoes into bite-sized cubes of about 1 cm; keeping them from being too small is key to preserving their juicy texture.
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Seasoning
- Adding brown sugar to the diced tomatoes and mixing well triggers osmotic pressure, drawing out juices and concentrating their natural umami.
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Seasoning
- The mellow sweetness of brown sugar tempers the sharp acidity of the tomatoes, creating a mild and balanced flavor.
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Prep
- Tearing the shiso leaves by hand releases their refreshing aroma much better than cutting them.
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Heat control
- When boiling somen, lower the heat slightly after it boils to prevent boiling over, and cook according to the package instructions (about 1.5 to 2 minutes).
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Cooking
- Rinse the cooked somen thoroughly under running water, gently rubbing them to wash away surface salt and starch, then squeeze firmly to drain.
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Cooking
- Thoroughly chill the tomato sauce in the refrigerator before pouring it generously, along with all the chunky ingredients, over the plated somen.
Ingredients for "Tomato Somen"
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How to Make "Tomato Somen"
- 1
Make fine diagonal cuts on both sides of the green onion (5 cm), then slice from the end to finely mince it.
- 2
Use the tip of a knife to core the tomatoes (2), then cut them into bite-sized cubes of about 1 cm.
- 3
Transfer the diced tomatoes to a bowl, add the brown sugar (1 tsp), and mix thoroughly with a spoon.
- 4
Once the moisture is drawn out from the tomatoes, add the mentsuyu (4 tbsp), sesame oil (1 tbsp), and toasted white sesame seeds (1 tsp).
- 5
Add the minced green onion, then tear the shiso leaves (3–4) by hand into the bowl.
- 6
Mix everything well with a spoon and place in the refrigerator to chill thoroughly.
- 7
Bring a generous amount of water to a boil, then add the somen noodles (3 bundles), scattering them to prevent clumping.
- 8
Give them a quick stir, and once the water returns to a boil, lower the heat slightly and cook according to the package instructions (about 1.5 to 2 minutes).
- 9
Drain the cooked somen in a colander, rinse under cold running water, and gently rub the noodles with your hands to wash them.
- 10
Press down firmly with your hands to thoroughly squeeze out the excess water.
- 11
Arrange the somen in a glass bowl, shaping them into neat, bite-sized bundles.
- 12
Pour the chilled tomato sauce generously over the noodles, making sure to include all the ingredients, and serve.
Food Science
Coating tomatoes with brown sugar efficiently draws out moisture containing umami and acidity from within the tomatoes through osmotic pressure. Additionally, combining the abundant glutamic acid in tomatoes with the inosinic acid in mentsuyu creates an umami synergy, resulting in a deep, rich flavor. Furthermore, the acidity of the tomatoes, the sweetness of the brown sugar, and the saltiness and umami of the mentsuyu harmonize beautifully, creating a sauce with an excellent balance of the five basic tastes.
Detailed Commentary on "Tomato Somen"
* Content organized by topics from the video.
Tomato Somen: Perfect for Hot Summers
Standing in the kitchen during the hot summer months can feel like a chore, but that is exactly when we crave quick, refreshing dishes that cool us down. Today, we are introducing a refreshing Tomato Somen that you can easily make just by mixing ingredients into your usual mentsuyu. The only vegetables you need are tomatoes, green onions, and aromatic shiso leaves—all common, easy-to-find summer ingredients. By minimizing stove time and simply chopping and mixing the vegetables, you can create a somen dish with a deep, restaurant-quality flavor. Even when summer heat dampens your appetite, this dish goes down smoothly and deliciously.
Prepping the Green Onion and Tomatoes
Let's start by prepping the vegetables for our somen. To add a nice textural accent, we will finely mince the green onion (about 5 cm). Making fine diagonal cuts on both sides of the green onion before slicing it from the end makes it easy to get a clean, fine mince. Next up are the star tomatoes (2). First, use the tip of your knife to neatly core the tomatoes. Then, cut them into bite-sized cubes of about 1 cm. The key here is to keep them at a moderate size rather than chopping them too finely, which helps preserve their juicy texture.
Drawing Out Umami with Brown Sugar
Once you transfer the diced tomatoes to a bowl, it's time for a professional chef's secret step. Add brown sugar (1 tsp) to the tomatoes and mix thoroughly with a spoon. Adding sugar to the tomatoes triggers osmotic pressure, drawing out their natural juices and concentrating their rich umami flavor. As you stir, you will see a soup-like liquid quickly release from the tomatoes. Furthermore, the mellow sweetness of the brown sugar works wonders by tempering the sharp acidity of the tomatoes, resulting in a beautifully mild and balanced flavor.
Finishing the Chunky Tomato Sauce
Now, let's add the base seasonings to the bowl of flavorful tomatoes. Add 4 tbsp of store-bought mentsuyu (double-concentrate), 1 tbsp of sesame oil for richness and aroma, and 1 tbsp of toasted white sesame seeds. Next, toss in the minced green onion. Then, tear 3 to 4 shiso leaves by hand into bite-sized pieces and add them. Tearing the shiso by hand releases its refreshing aroma much better than cutting. Mix everything well with a spoon, then place the bowl in the refrigerator to chill thoroughly.
Tips for Boiling and Draining Somen
While the sauce is chilling, let's boil the main star: somen noodles (3 bundles). Bring a generous amount of water to a boil, then scatter the somen into the pot. Give them a quick stir, and once the water returns to a boil, lower the heat slightly to prevent it from boiling over. Cook according to the package instructions (about 1.5 to 2 minutes) to your preferred texture. Once cooked, immediately drain them in a colander and rinse under cold running water. The secret is to gently rub the noodles with your hands to wash away any excess salt and starch on the surface. Finally, press down firmly with your hands to thoroughly squeeze out the water.
Assembling the Refreshing Tomato Somen
Now, let's arrange the well-drained somen in a cool glass bowl. Shaping the noodles into neat, bite-sized bundles makes the presentation look elegant and professional. Next, take the special tomato sauce that has been chilling in the refrigerator and pour it generously over the noodles, making sure to get plenty of the chunky ingredients. The vibrant red of the tomatoes, the refreshing green of the shiso, and the aromatic sesame seeds come together to create a visually stunning, cooling dish. With just a little extra effort, your everyday mentsuyu is transformed into a special somen dish worthy of a trendy cafe menu.
Taste Test and Recommended Variations
Let's dig in while it's fresh! With the very first slurp, the smooth texture of the somen and the rich umami of the tomatoes fill your mouth. Thanks to the brown sugar, the tomato's acidity becomes incredibly mild, creating a deep, savory richness. The natural juices from the tomatoes, the mentsuyu, and the sesame oil meld together beautifully, coating the noodles perfectly. If you want to make it more filling, we highly recommend topping it with shabu-shabu pork or canned tuna. This versatile tomato sauce is excellent not only for somen but also tossed with cold pasta or used as a sauce for grilled meats, so please try enjoying it in various ways!
About Koh Kentetsu Kitchen【料理研究家コウケンテツ公式チャンネル】
Koh Kentetsu Kitchen【料理研究家コウケンテツ公式チャンネル】
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