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Chilled umeboshi somen is my favorite summer recipe! It’s a cool bowl of somen noodles topped with tangy, salty-sour umeboshi, and comes together in under 10 minutes!

Looking for more noodle dishes for summer? Try these Japanese noodle recipes!

Recipe Ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this cold somen:

Somen Noodles: Thin, white Japanese noodles made from wheat flour. They cook in just 1–2 minutes, making them perfect for quick, light meals in the summer.
Mentsuyu: A flavorful noodle soup base made from soy sauce, mirin, and dashi. This recipe uses a store-bought version for convenience, but you can also try making homemade mentsuyu or a vegan version.
Umeboshi: Japanese pickled plums—salty, tangy, and packed with flavor. They add a refreshing zing that pairs beautifully with chilled somen.
Katsuobushi: Dried bonito flakes. These add an extra layer of umami. If you’re keeping the dish vegetarian or vegan, feel free to leave them out or replace them with shredded nori or chopped scallions.

How To Make Umeboshi Somen Noodles: STEP BY STEP

Here’s a quick visual guide! Check the recipe card below for the video and full details!

Step 1

Make the umeboshi paste.

Step 2

Dilute the mentsuyu with water.

Step 3

Boil the somen noodles, then drain and cool them down.

Top with umeboshi paste and katsuobushi, drizzle with mentsuyu, and enjoy these light and refreshing somen noodles!

Recipe Tips

Boil with plenty of water to keep noodles from sticking.
Rinse under cold water right after boiling to stop cooking and remove starch—this makes them firm and chewy.

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Chilled Umeboshi Somen Noodles

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Prep: 2

Cook: 5

Total: 7

Servings:

Author: Juri Austin

Chilled umeboshi somen is my favorite summer recipe! It's a cool bowl of somen noodles topped with tangy, salty-sour umeboshi, and comes together in under 10 minutes!

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Equipment

Medium saucepan
Strainer

Ingredients

▢ 2 Umeboshi
▢ 2 servings Somen Noodles
▢ 2 cups Mentsuyu
▢ 1 Tbsp Katsuobushi, or as much as you like

Instructions

Prepare the Umeboshi: Remove the pits from the umeboshi and mash them into a paste.
Cook Somen Noodles: Boil plenty of water (not listed in the ingredients) in a medium saucepan, add the somen noodles, and cook according to the package instructions (usually 1–2 minutes). Stir the noodles with chopsticks to separate them while cooking. Drain the noodles in a strainer and rinse under cold running water to cool and remove excess starch.
Prepare the Mentusyu: Dilute the mentsuyu with cold water according to the instructions on the bottle (ratios vary by brand).
Serve: Arrange the chilled somen noodles in a bowl. Top with mashed umeboshi and a sprinkle of katsuobushi. Drizzle the diluted mentsuyu over the top and enjoy!

Notes

Boil with plenty of water to keep noodles from sticking.
Rinse under cold water right after boiling to stop cooking and remove starch; this makes them firm and chewy.
If you can’t find mentsuyu, try my easy homemade version! I also have a vegan mentsuyu recipe you can check out.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 398kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 24g

This nutritional information is estimated and provided for general reference only.

Course: Noodles

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: chilled somen noodles

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Chilled Umeboshi Somen Noodles

Recipe Ingredients

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