Hello everyone! This is Aikero, writer for [Sarukuma].

The Kumamoto summer is just too hot…
How are you all holding up?

When you think of summer in Japan, you think of somen noodles.
Cold and slurpable even on the hottest days…
But have you ever thought “will three bundles be enough?” only to despair when you see how much it makes after boiling?
There’s always leftovers, right? (;^ω^)

And on another day, when you think to yourself,
“Eh, somen will do for lunch (or dinner) again♪”
You get tired of it pretty quickly, don’t you? _(┐「ε:)_

So!!
We’ve gathered the wisdom of the Saruku Mamas!
Here are our easy, creative somen noodle recipes!

By the way, who exactly are the Saruku Mamas?

Saruku Mama

It’s our nickname for our mama writers♪
We came up with the name together, drawing on the “saruku” (strolling) part of Sarukou Kumamoto (*’ω’*)

Cheering on Summer Vacation! Eat Somen All Summer Without Getting Bored!

Last time, we held the “Mom’s Curry Championship” where the Saruku Mama Kids judged different curries (and it was a huge hit!)

The Sarukuma Writers’ Heated Battle! Curry Tasting Championship!!!

This time, everyone brought their own creative somen recipe to share and enjoy together — a peaceful little gathering (*’ω’*)
Please enjoy reading with a relaxed heart♡ haha
We’ll also introduce the brands of somen and noodle dipping sauce (mentsuyu) we use every day♪

Introducing the Somen Arrangement Menu

First up is Asukarando, who’s also active as an instructor at Asuka Cooking!

Asukarando

My favorite mentsuyu is Mizkan Oigatsuo♡

〈Bukkake Somen with Chicken Stock Broth〉
Top it with simmered eggs, corn, chicken ham, chili oil, sesame seeds, or any toppings you love for an even tastier dish♪

〈Refreshing Summer Vegetable Salad Somen〉
The dressing also works great as a regular salad dressing!
〈My Son’s Favorite: Sesame Mentsuyu Somen〉
Just a tiny twist on your usual mentsuyu♪

Next up is Gussan, our Sarukuma editor-in-chief and a powerhouse working full-time as a nursery school teacher!

Gussan

For somen it’s gotta be Ibonoito, and I always use Yamaki mentsuyu!

〈Sesame Soy Milk Somen〉
The combo of sesame and soy milk makes it healthy and delicious.
The broth is so good you’ll want to drink every drop!

〈Shiso Mentaiko Somen〉
I love mentaiko (spicy cod roe) pasta, so I tried making it with somen — and it turned out amazing♡

Next is Kurubushi, who always makes us laugh with her witty blog posts and conversation!

Kurubushi

My favorite is Kubara’s Agodashi tsuyu (flying fish stock)♪

〈Buttery Crispy Somen Cookies〉
With just one twist, leftover somen transforms into a delightful snack★
With its crispy texture and buttery aroma, you’d never guess it started as somen!

Next is Mido, the biggest MUJI fan among the Saruku Mamas, whose calm presence is simply soothing!

Mido

I always use Shima no Hikari hand-stretched somen from Shodoshima♪

〈Soy Sauce Ramen-Style Somen〉
Inspired by an arrangement I saw on Instagram, this is like a chilled shoyu ramen♪

〈Miso Ramen-Style Somen〉
Based on the soy sauce broth, then twisted with miso.
Enjoy with ham, eggs, or any toppings you like♪

Last but not least is yours truly, the shy writer Aikero!

Aikero

I bought my Morii Shimabara hand-stretched somen at Cosmos!

〈Our Family’s Go-To Salad Somen〉
An arrangement born from putting my daughter’s favorite tuna salad on top of somen — turned out delicious!
〈Somen Donuts, aka “So-nuts”〉
An homage to udonuts, born from somen that wasn’t quite to my taste.

Gussan reciting Asuka Sensei’s homemade dressing recipe right away.

Don’t worry — we’ll share all the recipes later in this article!♪
The kids pitched in to help too♡
They made the recommended sesame mentsuyu for us! (*’ω’*)
Drawn in by the lovely buttery aroma, the kids couldn’t stop tasting.
One kid called the crispy cookie “gross-looking” at first, but ended up asking for the most seconds! Σ(･ω･ﾉ)ﾉ haha
So honest and adorable♡
Sarukuma has lots of writers on its team.

This series began as a way to support moms with their everyday concerns and joys.
But it’s also a chance for writers, who don’t usually meet face-to-face, to connect.

“I wonder if the kids will like this?”
“How exactly do you make this?”
“What’s the plan for summer break?” — Lots of relatable mom chatter throughout.

The cooking went smoothly in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere with plenty of chatting♪

Before we knew it, everything was ready★
All 10 creative somen dishes lined up beautifully!

Time to Taste! The Somen Showdown!

Everything on the table is somen!
How will the hungry kids — fresh from playing — react?!
Both kids and adults exclaimed “So delicious!!” — music to our ears♪
Some kids picked dishes by appearance, others went for what they normally eat at home.
Some kids ate silently, skillfully wielding their chopsticks.
Each chilled broth had its own unique flavor — surprisingly, it never felt like we were eating the same noodles over and over.
The girls were thrilled too♡
They polished off about 80% of the tuna salad somen between them. haha

“The broth is so good!”
“Can I drink all of it?”
“This was my favorite!”
“The salad somen pairs amazingly!”

Thanks to all the variety, everyone was asking for seconds!

After savory somen, time for sweet somen♪

When I said “These cookies are made of somen!”,
“The crispy parts are so yummy!”
“I’ve had five already!” — the kids were over the moon, and I was so touched (*’ω’*)

With its buttery aroma, gentle sweetness, and crispy texture, it transformed into a sweet treat you’d never guess started as somen! (I had about four myself)
The “So-nuts” came in three kid-friendly flavors: kinako (roasted soybean flour), sugar, and Milo.
“The outside is so crispy! I can’t believe somen turns into this!” — even the Saruku Mamas were astonished.
One kid even said, “This is my fourth one!”♪
After eating, the kids went right back to playtime.
Different ages, different neighborhoods, but the kids all got along beautifully♡

Meanwhile, the Saruku Mamas chatted and brainstormed ideas for the next project.
Fun fact: this somen arrangement project was actually born from ideas that came up during our donut taste-test and tea parties♪

It started with: “What kind of summer project should we do?”
“Maybe something we can do indoors since it’s so hot?”
“How about something like the donut taste-test?”
“Summer… somen… We eat somen all the time, but it gets boring. How do you all eat it?”
…And just like that, our somen arrangement project was born.

Calories Be Damned! The Writers’ Serious Donut Taste-Test!

Somen Arrangement Recipes

Gussan

Measurements? Eyeball it! haha — if it tastes good, that’s all that matters!

〈Sesame Soy Milk Somen〉
・Soy milk
・Sesame oil
・Mentsuyu (noodle dipping sauce)
・Sesame seeds
・Salt
※Quantities to taste

① Just mix everything together — done!
※Feel free to add more sesame or some chili oil to suit your taste!

〈Shiso Mentaiko Somen〉
・Mentaiko (spicy cod roe)
・Shiso (perilla leaves)
・Mayonnaise
※Quantities to taste

① Mix mentaiko and mayonnaise, then toss with somen — done!
※I added shiso because I love it, but it’s optional♪

Kurubushi

Great for making with the kids♪

〈Buttery Crispy Somen Cookies〉
・Leftover somen
・Melted butter (margarine works too)
・Granulated sugar (any sugar works)
※Quantities to taste
※A little extra butter and sugar makes them even tastier

① Preheat oven to 210°C (410°F)
② Combine leftover somen, butter, and sugar
③ Form into bite-size pieces and flatten them out thin
④ Bake at 210°C for 15–20 minutes
※A toaster oven, fish grill, or frying pan also works!
※The crispiest, tastiest ones have golden-brown edges!

Asukarando

Everything is by eye, so adjust to your own taste♪

〈Bukkake Somen with Chicken Stock Broth〉
・Mentsuyu — 50ml
・Water — 80ml
・Chicken stock powder — 1/2 tsp
・Garlic paste — about 1cm
・Sesame oil — 1/2 tsp
・Toppings: simmered eggs, green onion, salad chicken, corn, sesame seeds, chili oil, etc.

① Mix everything and warm in microwave for 30–40 seconds
② Chill in the fridge
③ Pour over somen and add your favorite toppings — done!

〈Refreshing Summer Vegetable Salad Somen〉
・Sushi vinegar — 40ml
・Olive oil — 10ml
・Light soy sauce — 10ml
・Garlic paste — 1–2cm
・Salt and black pepper — to taste
・Cucumber, tomato, lettuce, etc.

① Salt the vegetables and gently squeeze out excess water
② Mix all seasonings, then toss with vegetables and somen — done!
※Also works as a regular salad dressing

〈My Son’s Favorite: Sesame Mentsuyu Somen〉
・Store-bought sesame dressing — 30ml
・Mentsuyu — 50ml
・Water — 100ml
・Sesame seeds — to taste

① Mix all seasonings together, then top with ground sesame seeds — done!

Mido

I made this with a recipe I found on Instagram♪

〈Soy Sauce Ramen-Style Somen〉
・Somen — to taste
・Chicken stock powder — 1.5 tbsp
・Soy sauce — 1.5 tbsp
・Sugar — 1 tsp
・Sesame oil — to taste
・Hot water — 500ml
・Toppings: boiled egg, green onion, ham, etc.

① Combine all seasonings and chill
② Add somen to chilled broth — done!
〈Miso Ramen-Style Somen〉
・Somen — to taste
・Chicken stock powder — 1.5 tbsp
・Miso — 1.5 tbsp
・Garlic paste — 1–2cm
・Sesame oil — to taste
・Hot water — 500ml
・Toppings: boiled egg, corn, green onion, ham, etc.

① Combine all seasonings and chill
② Add somen to chilled broth — done!

Aikero

Perfect for everyday snack-making♪

〈Our Family’s Go-To Salad Somen〉
・Cucumber — about 2
・Tomato — about 2
・Canned tuna — 1 can
・Mayonnaise — to taste
・Mentsuyu — to taste

① Cut vegetables into 1cm cubes
② Mix the seasonings and ① together — done!
※Even better after letting the flavors meld
〈Somen Donuts, aka “So-nuts”〉
・Leftover somen — 1–2 bundles
・Pancake mix — 180–200g
・Milk or water — about 50–100ml
・Oil — for frying
・Kinako, sugar, cocoa, etc. — to taste
※Adjust pancake mix and liquid based on the amount of somen (no need to measure exactly)
※Great for using up overcooked or unsuitable somen

① Cut boiled somen into small pieces in a bowl using scissors
② Add pancake mix and stir
③ Add milk or water and adjust to a thick consistency (firmer than pancake batter)
④ Scoop with a spoon, flatten slightly, and pan-fry in oil
⑤ While still warm, toss in a bag with kinako, sugar, or cocoa — done!

All measurements are flexible!
As long as it tastes good, that’s all that matters — please give them a try (^^)/

Wrap-Up

This time we used over 10 bundles of somen!
Everything we ate was somen, but the kids — and us moms too — never got bored thanks to all the different flavors (*’ω’*)
You can also add somen to miso soup or stir-fry it with vegetables — it’s surprisingly versatile!

The long, long summer break.
We hope this helps moms and dads — who probably spend all day thinking about meals — feel just a little bit lighter.

Sarukuma is a community of moms working together.

Beyond covering Kumamoto outing info, we also run the Sarukuma Investigation Squad, sharing everyday parenting and life concerns,
and involve our kids in projects we create together — all to make raising kids in Kumamoto more joyful!

We’d love to hear your feedback and requests (^^)/
Feel free to DM us or comment on Sarukuma’s Instagram♪

The Sarukuma Writers’ Heated Battle! Curry Tasting Championship!!!

Calories Be Damned! The Writers’ Serious Donut Taste-Test!

We update our Instagram daily!
Sarukuma shares info on lunch spots, parks, indoor play, and more — geared toward families raising kids in Kumamoto.
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