Somen Noodles with Japanese Salmon

Somen noodles are a thin asian style noodle and paired with an aromatic tomato sauce, tender flakey salmon and kewpie mayo. It’s paired with a simple stir fried bokchoy for a balanced meal and easy weeknight dinner. 

This dish was inspired by one of the items on my pop-up menu from this August. My friend Susanna and I held a fundraiser to raise money for #feedthepeople Maui, and we had a whole array of delicious goods. I wanted to make something seasonal with early girl tomatoes and salmon, and chobaps (Korean stuffed tofu skins) seemed like a perfect vessel and afternoon snack. The tomato salmon mixture was SO good, I knew I wanted to translate this into an easy weeknight dinner. 

I took that same combination of goods – the incredibly sweet and seasonal early girl tomatoes, shallots, garlic, flakey tender salmon, and kewpie mayo – and made this into a somen noodle bowl. The thin slippery noodles, delicious sauce, and crisp tender bokchoy are a treat of a combo, and I hope you all enjoy this one!

FAQ – for the Somen Noodles with Japanese Salmon

Q: What is kewpie mayo and what is the difference between this and regular mayo?

A: Kewpie mayo is a Japanese brand of mayo that is known for its umami-packed, sweet, flavor. Compared to regular mayo, I find it to be smoother and creamier. Kewpie mayo also has MSG and is made with just egg yolks rather than whole eggs (what regular American mayo is made of). You can find kewpie mayo at most asian grocery stores and with its recent popularity, it can also be found at most American grocery stores as well. 

Q: Should I wash the somen noodles after cooking?

A: Yes! It’s typically not normal to wash pasta after cooking, but with asian noodles, you WANT to wash off the starch and stop the thin noodles from continuing to cook. 

Q: What type of salmon do you recommend for this dish?

A: I am using Atlantic Salmon, but Sockeye salmon, King Salmon, Coho Salmon, or even Steelhead Trout. When buying salmon, I always recommend using it within 1 day of purchasing. If plans change, stick the fish in an airtight container and freeze it. Then, defrost the fish the night before you plan to use it.

Q: What if I can’t find early girl tomatoes? What are these tomatoes?

A: Early girl tomatoes are a species of tomatoes that are quite common in California. If you can’t find these, feel free to use any “vine” tomato.

Step by Step Instructions:

1. Dice the tomatoes into 1/2” pieces. Add these to a bowl.
2. Mince the shallots and garlic.
3. Heat a pot on medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of neutral oil and the diced tomatoes, minced shallots, garlic, and pinch of kosher salt. Stir to combine and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat. If the tomatoes aren’t super juicy, add a few tablespoons of water and cover and cook with a lid.
4. As the tomatoes are cooking, season and cook the salmon – I used leftover cooked salmon I already had in the fridge, but you can cook fresh salmon either in the air fryer, oven, or by pan searing or steaming.

5. In the meantime, prepare the bokchoy. Wash and halve the bokchoy, then slice each half on a bias if it’s still quite large. Heat a large pan on high heat. Once hot, add a tablespoon of neutral oil, then the halved bokchoy. Give everything a stir, then add 2 tablespoons of water to the pan. Cover and let cook for 3 minutes on medium high heat. After 3 minutes, season with a pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Taste, adjust seasoning, and set aside.

6. Bring another pot of water to a boil for the somen noodles. Cook the somen noodles according to the package directions. Then, wash the noodles under cold water to stop the cooking.

7. Once the tomato sauce is ready, give this a taste. Adjust with more salt and pepper as desired, then add the salmon and kewpie mayo to the mixture. Flake the salmon in the sauce, taste, and adjust seasoning as desired.

8. Toss the noodles and the tomato salmon sauce together and plate with a side of the bokchoy. Garnish with chives, and serve!

Video tutorial:

Print

If you liked this Somen Noodles with Japanese Salmon, try these others recipes:

• Sauce Vierge on Lemon Steamed Salmon
• Spiced Pickled Tomatoes on Easy Roast Salmon