A refreshing cold noodle dish that’s perfect for the hottest days of summer: Tomato Somyeon! The chilled tomato broth and infinitely slurpable noodles makes this a spectacular yet simple dish. Make the most of tomato season with this easy Korean noodle recipe! A simple summer meal featuring ripe tomatoes, chewy noodles, and bright flavors that are perfect for warm weather.
What is Tomato Somyeon?
Tomato Somyeon is a Korean cold noodle dish with thin wheat noodles (somyeon) and a tangy, savory tomato broth. A flavor-packed soup with lots of umami and tang, it will definitely cool you down on hot summer days!
The flavor profile is a cross between Gazpacho, a Spanish chilled vegetable soup, and Naengmyeon, a Korean cold noodle dish with a savory radish and beef broth. A Tomato Naengmyeon, you could say.
The star of this dish is definitely the chilled tomato broth. Whizz in a food processor or blender until smooth. There’s no need to strain the broth or peel the tomatoes. The texture adds extra fiber and is part of the charm of this dish. Truly!
Add ice cubes and eat immediately. Or chill in the fridge for 3-4 hours (or overnight) to get the broth as cold as possible. The combination of cold, sweet, sour, and savory is so good on hot and sticky summer days.
In Korean cuisine, cold noodle dishes are a staple summer menu item, like Bibim Guksu or Perilla Oil Soba Noodles, and of course, Naengmyeon.
Make this easy noodle dish all summer long. Easy to make and on the table in 15 minutes. Serve as a main dish with a soft boiled egg on top. Or make smaller portions and serve as a side dish alongside grilled meat.
Ingredients
- Tomatoes. Use the best tomatoes you can find, it will make this dish shine. Recommended: Roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, or any vine-ripened tomatoes.
Look for tomatoes that are heavy, plump, dark red and fragrant. Vine-ripened tomatoes make the best broth! Do not use winter tomatoes that are pale, yellow or mealy.
- Somyeon. Korean thin wheat noodles. In Japanese, they are called Somen. They cook up fast, in 3-4 minutes. *You can also use angel hair pasta.
- Soy Sauce. Adds umami.
- Mirin. Sweet cooking wine.
- Vinegar. Any kind of vinegar works well. I use Korean Apple Vinegar or Rice Vinegar. But even white distilled vinegar works great.
- Sugar. Adds sweetness.
- Instant Dashi Powder. Adds umami depth. If you don’t have it, swap with soy sauce. *I use Hondashi.
- Green onion. Subtle onion flavor.
- Sesame seeds. Garnish. For nutty texture.
- Perilla Leaves (Kkaennip). Garnish. Can be swapped with basil.
- Sesame oil. Add a drizzle right before serving.
- Soft boiled egg. *Optional. Make it a complete meal by adding a jammy egg for protein.
How to make Cold Korean Tomato Noodles
- Make tomato broth. In a food processor or high powered blender, add chopped tomatoes, garlic, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, vinegar, instant dashi powder and water. Puree until smooth and well combined. It should just measure 4 cups. Transfer to a 4-cup measuring cup and stir in the chopped green onion. Cover and chill in the fridge.
- Cook noodles and eggs. To a medium pot of water, carefully add eggs (if using). Bring to a boil. When the water is boiling, add the somyeon and stir briefly to make sure the noodles don’t clump together. Cook until al dente, about 3-4 minutes.
- TIP: About halfway through the cooking process, the water will foam and bubble up. Add 1 cup cold water and let it come up to a boil again. (This process results in a chewier noodle).
- Set up cold water bath. While the noodles cook, make a cold water bath: to a medium bowl, add cold water and ice cubes. Set aside.
- Drain noodles. When the noodles are al dente, transfer both the noodles and eggs to a colander to drain the water. Transfer the eggs to the water bath. Rinse the noodles with cold water until cool to the touch. Set aside to drain.
- Assemble bowl. Divide Somyeon evenly between two bowls. Divide the tomato broth and add to the two bowls. Make sure not to pour the tomato broth on top of the noodles but around the sides, so the noodles mound up in the middle. Add a few ice cubes to the tomato broth.
- Garnish. To each bowl, add a drizzle of sesame oil and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Add finely julienned perilla leaves on top.
- Serve. Serve immediately and enjoy!
PRO Tips
- Make ahead of time. The tomato broth can be made in advance and chilled for 1-2 days. Cook the noodles right before serving for best texture.
- To eat immediately, add more ice! If you don’t have time to chill the broth, make sure to add ice cubes directly to the broth and give it a good stir. Instead of a few ice cubes, add a handful. Then pour into the noodle bowl.
- Chop bigger tomatoes. Makes it easier for the food processor to create a smooth puree.
- Garnish with aromatics. For a fragrant finish, make sure to garnish. Don’t skip this step thinking it’s not important.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
- Food Processor or Blender. A high powered food processor or blender will make pureeing the tomatoes easy. If you don’t have either, crush the tomatoes with a box grater.
- Colander. To drain and rinse the somyeon noodles.
Variations
- Make it spicy. Add 1-2 Tbsp of Gochukaru or Gochujang to the blender. Adds spicy heat.
- Make it vegan. Swap out the instant dashi powder with equal parts soy sauce.
- Add meat. For a meatier version, add some pan fried meat. Cook thinly sliced beef or pork rolls (frozen hot pot meat) in a non-stick skillet and serve on top of the noodles.
Serve with
Tastes good with grilled meat dishes or Korean BBQ. Some recommendations:
- Samgyeopsal (Grilled Pork Belly)
- LA Galbi (Korean BBQ Short Ribs)
- Spicy Korean Pork
- Gochujang BBQ Chicken
FAQ
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 1-2 days. However, these noodles are best eaten the same day they are made.
The broth will stay good for 2-3 days. Cover tightly and store in the fridge until ready to use.
Perilla leaves, also called Kkaennip, are a commonly used Korean ingredient. Perilla belongs to the mint family of herbs and is closely related to the sesame plant and similar to Japanese shiso. The flavor is earthy, minty, and very fragrant. In the summer, it grows well. Look for it at the Korean market in the produce section.
More hot weather recipes
- Mango Bingsu
- Yukhoe (Korean Beef Tartare)
- Hwe Dup Bap (Korean Sashimi Rice Bowl)
- Peach Yakult Sago Drink
- Japanese Cold Tofu (Hiyayakko)
Cold Tomato Somyeon Noodles recipe
Equipment
- Food Processor or Blender *Use a box grater if you don't have either
- Colander or Strainer
Ingredients
- 6 ounces Someyon (Somen) noodles *Korean or Japanese thin wheat noodles
Tomato broth
- 1 lb/ 454 grams Tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp Mirin *sweet cooking wine
- 2 Tbsp vinegar *Korean apple vinegar, rice vinegar, or regular white distilled vinegar
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 green onion, minced *add last, after removing broth from the food processor
- 1/2 cup water
Garnish
- 3-4 perilla leaves, finely julienned *can be swapped with basil
- 1-2 Tbsp sesame seeds
- drizzle sesame oil
- 2 eggs *optional
Instructions
- Make tomato broth. In a food processor or high powered blender, add chopped tomatoes, garlic, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, vinegar, instant dashi powder and water. Puree until smooth and well combined. It should just measure 4 cups. Transfer to a 4-cup measuring cup and stir in the chopped green onion. Cover and chill in the fridge.
- Cook noodles and eggs. To a medium pot of water, carefully add eggs (if using). Bring to a boil. When the water is boiling, add the somyeon and stir briefly to make sure the noodles don't clump together. Cook until al dente, about 3-4 minutes.
- TIP: About halfway through the cooking process, the water will foam and bubble up. Add 1 cup cold water and let it come up to a boil again. (This process results in a chewier noodle).
- Set up cold water bath. While the noodles cook, make a cold water bath: to a medium bowl, add cold water and ice cubes. Set aside.
- Drain noodles. When the noodles are al dente, transfer both the noodles and eggs to a colander to drain the water. Transfer the eggs to the water bath. Rinse the noodles with cold water until cool to the touch. Set aside to drain.
- Assemble bowl. Divide Somyeon evenly between two bowls. Divide the tomato broth and add to the two bowls. Make sure not to pour the tomato broth on top of the noodles but around the sides, so the noodles mound up in the middle. Add a few ice cubes to the tomato broth.
- Garnish. To each bowl, add a drizzle of sesame oil and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Add finely julienned perilla leaves on top.
- Serve. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Make ahead of time. The tomato broth can be made in advance and chilled for 1-2 days. Cook the noodles right before serving for best texture.
- To eat immediately, add more ice! If you don’t have time to chill the broth, make sure to add ice cubes directly to the broth and give it a good stir. Instead of a few ice cubes, add a handful. Then pour into the noodle bowl.
- Chop bigger tomatoes. Makes it easier for the food processor to create a smooth puree.
- Garnish with aromatics. For a fragrant finish, make sure to garnish. Don’t skip this step thinking it’s not important.
