Recipe and photos by Naomi Molstrom
I’ll be honest: This recipe is for a committed home cook. Why? Because the first step is to make shio dare, a flavor base used more often as the foundation for a bowl of hot ramen soup. Shio dare is very delicious but it takes some effort. If you’re looking for a near instant cold noodle salad for hot days, check out these 3 Easy Sauces, which you can toss with Umi noodles and the fresh veggies listed below for a delicious noodle salad! But if you don’t mind a small project, jump over to the shio dare recipe, make a batch, and then make this, which might be my favorite cold noodle salad that exists! (Once the shio dare is made, this is a literal breeze.) As usual, my dear friend Naomi Molstrom blew my mind with this recipe, which goes all the way in its commitment to crunch. The chewiness of Umi noodles is so outstanding in this dish—it’s unbeatable! And the contrast with all the crunchy vegetables makes this a textural delight. Naomi roasts dried anchovies in a skillet to get them crunchy too, which is a treat for those who like fish. You can omit those or add another crunchy element like toasted sunflower seeds or fried shallots. This is a summertime showstopper. Enjoy!
Sauce
1/4 cup (60 milliliters) shio dare (recipe in link)
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Toppings
1/2 head romaine lettuce, washed, dried and julienned
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
3 red radishes, thinly sliced
2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
1 carrot, julienned
1 cup nappa cabbage kimchi, julienned
1/4 cup roasted baby anchovies
2 soft-boiled egg (optional) or jammy ramen eggs
1 tablespoon chili oil (optional)
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil.
While waiting for the water to come to a boil, mix shio dare, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Cook eggs to your preference. (Naomi makes a 5- to 6-minute egg. We also recommend our jammy ramen eggs.) Roast dried baby anchovies over medium heat. Let them cool. Cut all vegetables into thin slices.
Loosen up the noodle with your hands. Add to the boiling water. Cook for two minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain in a strainer and rinse well under running water until the cooked noodles are chilled. Thoroughly shake out water.
Put the drained noodle in a large bowl and mix with the sauce. Taste the seasoned noodle and add more rice vinegar, shio dare, or sesame oil if you like. Place noodle in a serving bowl. Place all toppings on the noodles, add the egg, and drizzle over chili oil. Invite eaters to toss their bowl before eating.
