somen chicken salad with sweet soy sauce

Tuesday evening dinner. I had baked some chicken the other night and thought what I can make with it. With the weather being damp and dreary, I thought a nice crisp slightly spicy noodle would surely brighten up the evening. I had some lettuce and bell peppers in the fridge so that's what went in this dish, but any vegetable would work: snow peas, carrots, Chinese cabbage, fennel or celery would lend a good crunch.


Somen Chicken Salad
Serves 2

grilled chicken
somen
romaine lettuce
orange and yellow bell pepper
mint

Somen is a thin white noodle, made with wheat flour. You can find it at any Asian market. To measure one serving, make a ring with your thumb and index finger, about the size of a quarter and the amount of dried noodles that fits between your fingers should be enough for one person. Cook as directed on the package, usually 3-4 minutes. Rinse the cooked noodles in cold water and let all the water drain. Slice grilled chicken into strips. Thinly cut the vegetables, rinse in an ice bath, drain, and pat dry or run it through a salad spinner. Toss the noodles, chicken and vegetables in the sweet soy sauce (recipe below) and mix in several leaves of mint. Plate and serve with wooden chopsticks.

Sweet Soy Sauce

1/4 cup black soy sauce (syrupy sweet soy sauce)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp sriracha (optional)
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp sesame oil
fish sauce, few drops
black pepper

Whisk all the ingredients together until the sauce binds thick. Grating some ginger into the sauce would give a refreshing kick. Add more sriracha for more heat.