Salmon Somen with Mushrooms
Salmon Somen is such a beautiful and easy dish to prepare and is absolutely perfect if you ever want to host a Japanese-themed dinner party with no-fuss cooking and simply gorgeous results.
The most important part of this recipe is the broth, which is kind of an umami blast as it combines sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and saltiness. You may use whatever soup noodles you like – I would recommend soba, somen, or udon. This recipe will absolutely work as a vegetarian option – simply omit the salmon and replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock. If you’re looking to add a bit of protein, top with a soft-boiled or poached egg at the end.
Why I love this recipe: Easy to source ingredients and easy substitutions for the ingredients you can’t source. From start to finish, this meal takes about 30 minutes to get on the table. Seriously…it’s that easy and all you need is one pot and one skillet, so clean up is a breeze.
Ingredients
6 ounces of noodles (somen, soba, or udon)
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2-inch piece of ginger
5 scallions, green and white parts separated
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
A drizzle of sesame oil
8 ounces mushrooms (crimini or shiitake will work fine)
2 cups tatsoi (or baby spinach or baby bok choy)
2 salmon filets, skin removed
Olive Oil
Shichi-mi tōgarashi (optional, or, substitute with a bit of crushed red pepper)
Cilantro leaves (optional garnish)
Instructions
Prep Your Ingredients: Prepare the noodles according to the package instructions in a 2 quart pot. (Usually, you will boil the noodles for 2 minutes only.) Rinse the noodles under cold water to stop the cooking process and divide the noodles into two bowls. Set aside. Thinly slice the white and very light green parts of the scallions. Thinly slice the dark green parts of the scallions lengthwise. Set aside the dark green parts. Very thinly slice the mushrooms. (If using shiitakes, remove the stems and thinly slice the caps. Save the stems for another use, like homemade stock!) Peel and grate the ginger. Clean the tatsoi and set it aside with the mushrooms.
1. Make the broth. In the same 2-quart pot used to cook the noodles, combine the stock, white parts of the scallions, soy sauce, ginger, mirin, and a drizzle of sesame oil. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer.
2. Season the salmon filets on both sides with a bit of salt and pepper. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium high until shimmering. Add both salmon filets to the pan and cook for approximately four minutes. Flip the salmon and cook for another four minutes on the other side until cooked through to your liking. (Four minutes on each side will usually get you just above medium rare.)
3. During the last four minutes of the salmon cooking, add the mushrooms and tatsoi to the broth and cover the pot. It will need approximately five minutes to wilt the greens. Do not overcook!
4. Plate it up! Remove the salmon and the broth from the heat. Ladle the broth into the bowls of noodles being sure to spread the tatsoi and mushrooms evenly over the noodles. Top each bowl with sliced scallion greens and a few cilantro leaves (if using). Sprinkle a bit of shichi-mi tōgarashi (or crushed red pepper) over the noodles. Finally, top each noodle bowl with a salmon filet and serve. Enjoy!