Chef notes
Mom never ceases to amaze me. She's always got so many new recipes to share with me, and when I'm visiting back home in California, she goes all out to make me my favorite foods. One particularly hot summer day, she taught me how to make this dish. This very popular Japanese cold noodle dish is light, simple, flavorful and absolutely delicious. I enjoy it year-round, and you will, too!
Technique tip: Don't overcook the noodles. Cook until al dente, run with cold water to rinse of extra starch, strain off all excess water.
Swap option: Use rice noodles, somen, ramen or even angel hair pasta if you'd like! And you can use a hard-boiled egg or tofu cubes instead of the Japanese Tamagoyaki omelette.
Ingredients
- 8-9 ounces rice sōmen noodles
- 3 cups red-leaf lettuce, cut into thin strips
- 1/2 large cucumber or 2 small, cut into thin strips (about 1¼ cups)
- 1 tomato, cut into thin strips (about 3/4 cup)
- 1 avocado, pitted, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced on the bias, for garnish (optional)
- sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 large eggs, well beaten
- 1 tablespoon dashi or a touch of shōyu, if desired
- 1/4 cup reduced-sodium tamari soy sauce 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon tōgarashi
- 2½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon honey or pure maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
Preparation
For the noodles:
In a medium stockpot, bring a generous amount of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook as directed on the package. Drain and rinse in a colander under cold running water and set aside.
For the Tamagoyaki:
In a small nonstick pan, heat the sesame oil over medium-low heat. Pour in the beaten eggs and allow to set, 3-4 minutes. Once set, using chopsticks or a small spatula, fold the thin crepe-like eggs like you would an omelet. Allow the tamagoyaki to cool for 1 to 2 minutes, then thinly slice it into strips.
For the Hiyashi Chūka:
Add all the ingredients for the sauce to a large bowl and whisk well to combine. Add the noodles and lettuce and toss gently to coat with the dressing.
To assemble:
Using tongs, transfer the dressed noodles and lettuce to individual serving bowls and top with the sliced cucumber, tomato, tamagoyaki and avocado. Add green onions and/or toasted sesame seeds as a garnish, if desired.
