Somen

Bacon and Vegetable Topped Somen

This is one of my favorite summer recipes!

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Not exactly COLD noodles, but close enough!
Serves 4: The hardest part is finished, when ingredients are cut to a visually appealing size.

Ingredients: *Keep items about the same size when cutting : medium *
Somen (thick type) 320g
KAKE Tsuyu (soy dashi, for topping over noodles) 5 cups (*Note: Make your own...)
Bacon 3 slices -- cut to 4cm slices
Tomatoes 3 -- minced 1.5cm pieces
Eggplant small 2 -- cut to 1.5 cm pieces
green pepper small 2 -- seeded, chopped larger pieces
yellow pepper 1/2 -- seeded, chopped larger pieces
round onion 1/2 -- minced 1cm pieces
garlic 2 cloves -- halfed, center stem taken out, thin sliced
Dry red pepper 1 -- deseeded, slice rings
Olive oil 2 TBS
salt, pepper.
Optional basil to garnish.

Directions:
1. Boil water on high. Add somen, quickly add 1/2 cup water, when water reboils, noodles are done.
Drain and rinse in cold water quickly. Drain again. Set on 4 deep plates.

2. Cut bacon, onion, tomato, eggplant, peppers, garlic as above.

3. In frypan, place oil, on low heat, add garlic, cook till browned and crisp. Drain all onto paper towel. Keep frypan as is, unwiped.

4. On half of the frypan, cook dry red pepper slices. When it starts to be fragrant, add bacon, cook to crisp.
Then add Onion, eggplant, peppers, stir. Finally add Tomatoes, salt and pepper. Mix.

5. Serve over somen. Top with Tsuyu. Garnish with optional basil.

(I've updated the Hiyashi Chuuka Noodle recipe in a previous post to include Sesame dressing. )