Somen are thin, white wheat noodles that people eat with a dipping sauce in other parts of Japan. In Okinawa, it’s more common to stir-fry them or add them to soup. Since they require only 2-3 minutes of boiling time, they make for quick, satisfying appetizer or entrée dishes. You can combine this with seasoned bitter melon or veggie champuru (both on page 94) to make a heartier somen champuru recipe.
1 pound somen noodles
2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
1 cup firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch chunks
1⁄4 cup chopped garlic chives (or scallions)
Soy sauce
Cook noodles for 2-3 minutes, according to package directions.
Drain and mix noodles with sesame oil so they don’t stick together.
In a large sauté pan, heat 1⁄2 tablespoon of sesame oil over medium-high heat and brown tofu.
When tofu is browned, add chives and somen noodles to the pan and mix well.
Season to taste with a splash or two of soy sauce.
The Blue Zones Kitchen fuses scientific reporting, National Geographic photography and 100 recipes that may help you live to 100. The Blue Zones’ food tradition is going the way of the dodo bird, thanks to the encroachment of the American Food Culture.
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