This soy milk somen is a complete one-bowl meal — not just a side dish. A chilled, savoury soy milk sauce coats the noodles, while tofu and soy milk pack in real protein. Crisp vegetables add texture, and a drizzle of chilli oil at the end keeps it appetising even on the hottest, most appetite-killing days.
Why you’ll love this recipe
✔ Ready in about 30 minutes, most of it hands-off chilling time
✔A full meal in one bowl — noodles, vegetables, tofu and sauce together
✔ Easily made mild for kids, or spiced up with extra chilli oil
✔ A good source of plant protein from the soy milk and tofu
Ingredients
Noodles & vegetables
- 200 g somen noodles
- 1/3 tofu (smoked tofu works beautifully here, but any tofu from Asian store is fine)
- 1 small carrot
- 1/2 onion
- 1/4 zucchini
- 1/2 tomato
- 1/2 avocado
- 1 tbsp dried wakame seaweed, rehydrated in water
Soy milk sauce
- 250 ml unsweetened soy milk
- 1.5 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp mushroom seasoning powder (or any powdered stock you have on hand)
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp nutritional yeast (optional, but recommended)
Toppings
- Chilli oil, to taste
- Sesame seeds, to taste
Ingredient note: If unsweetened soy milk isn’t available, sweetened works too — just reduce the seasoning slightly, as sweetened varieties are already flavoured with sugar or salt. Oat milk is a good substitute as well.
How to Make Soy Milk Somen
Step 1: Cook and chill the vegetables
Cut the carrot, zucchini and onion into thin strips. Simmer them in a small amount of water until just tender, then let them cool in the cooking liquid before transferring to the fridge. Cut the tomato, avocado and tofu into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
Step 2: Make the soy milk sauce
In a bowl, whisk together the soy milk, soy sauce, mushroom seasoning powder, salt and nutritional yeast. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
Tip: Sweetened soy milk will make the sauce taste stronger than expected — add the seasonings gradually and taste as you go.
Step 3: Cook and chill the noodles
Cook the somen in plenty of boiling water, following the packet instructions. Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold running water, rubbing gently to remove excess starch, until fully cooled. Drain well before plating.
Tip: Somen tends to stick together as it sits, so it’s best to cook the noodles right before serving.
Step 4: Assemble
Arrange the chilled vegetables, wakame and tofu over the noodles. Pour the soy milk sauce over the top, then finish with chilli oil and sesame seeds to taste. Serve immediately, while everything is still cold. Enjoy:)
Tips for the Best Soy Milk Somen
Storage
The soy milk sauce keeps in the fridge for about two days. For an easy make-ahead meal, prepare the vegetables and sauce in advance, then just cook the noodles fresh before serving.
Substitutions
Swap the vegetables for whatever’s in the fridge — spinach, bean sprouts or corn all work well, and mushrooms like button or enoki are a lovely addition.
No somen on hand? Thin pasta like capellini, or udon, both work well in this recipe.
Variations
Adjust the chilli oil to taste, or leave it out entirely for kids or anyone sensitive to spice.
A Little Background
Summer in Berlin has a way of making cooking feel like the last thing I want to do — and some days, even I don’t feel like standing at the stove. But everyone still needs to eat, so this recipe came from wanting something quick that still felt properly nourishing.
Cold noodles, a mellow soy milk sauce, crisp vegetables and a bit of chilli oil to bring it all to life — my daughter has hers without the chilli, and my husband asks for this one on repeat. It’s the recipe that gets us through the hottest weeks of the year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — thin pasta such as capellini or udon noodles both work well in place of somen.
Definitely. The soy milk sauce is delicious on its own, so you can simply leave out the chilli oil.
Sweetened soy milk is usually seasoned with a bit of sugar or salt to make it easier to drink on its own, so the sauce may turn out too strong if you use the full amount of seasoning in the recipe. Add the seasonings a little at a time and adjust to taste. Oat milk is a good substitute too.
Soy Milk Somen: A Cool, Spicy Noodle Bowl for Hot Days
Ingredients
- 200 g somen noodles
- 1/3 Tofu smoked tofu works beautifully here, but any tofu from Asian store is fine
- 1 small carrot
- 1/2 onion
- 1/4 zucchini
- 1/2 tomato
- 1/2 avocado
- 1 tbsp dried wakame seaweed rehydrated in water
- 250 ml unsweetened soy milk
- 1.5 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp mushroom seasoning powder or any powdered stock you have on hand
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp nutritional yeast
- some sesame seeds to taste
- some chilli oil to taste
Instructions
- Cook and chill the vegetablesCut the carrot, zucchini and onion into thin strips. Cut the tomato, avocado and tofu into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
- Simmer them in a small amount of water until just tender, then let them cool in the cooking liquid before transferring to the fridge.
- Make the soy milk sauceIn a bowl, whisk together the soy milk, soy sauce, mushroom seasoning powder, salt and nutritional yeast. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Cook the somen in plenty of boiling water, following the packet instructions. Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold running water, rubbing gently to remove excess starch, until fully cooled. Drain well before plating.Tip: Somen tends to stick together as it sits, so it’s best to cook the noodles right before serving.
- AssembleArrange the chilled vegetables, wakame and tofu over the noodles. Pour the soy milk sauce over the top, then finish with chilli oil and sesame seeds to taste. Serve immediately, while everything is still cold. Enjoy:)
