Noodles, veggies, soup, together, cold, and refreshing.
This was exactly what I needed!
Yaki-bitashi is a Japanese cooking method.
It means fry (or sautee) first and then marinade.
I gathered all my favorite vegetables for this dish.
Eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables, but I tend to go for smaller sized versions like the one I grew up with in Japan.
Their seeds are smaller and the skin is softer.
So when I found these at Costco, I decided to try them.
Funny they call them “baby” eggplant, but this is the regular size in Japan.
Many Japanese noodles have become known in the U.S. the past several years (e.g., ramen, udon, soba, etc.), but I don’t think a lot of people know this one, “somen.”
Somen is the thinnest version of Japanese noodles (I believe).
And we (and I) enjoy eating Somen in summer for some reason.
This is good hot or at room temperature, but GREAT cold!