In Japan, nothing says summer like Hiyashi Chuka Ramen. This cold noodle salad is actually a cross-bred dish between Chinese and Japanese cuisine and it will definitely keep you cool and light during the hot summer days.

Here’s the recipe;

Ingredients (serves 2):

• For the noodle salad:
  • 1 pack instant noodles
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 tomato
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 poached chicken breast
  • 2 slices of ham, bacon or smoked turkey
  • 1 bunch of bean sprouts
  • 2 Shiitake mushrooms (pre-soaked in a cup of water overnight)
• For the dressing:
  • 50 ml of cold water
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 Tbsp vinegar
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
  • chopped spring onion leaves for garnish

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients for the dressing together in a small bowl and set aside to chill in the fridge.
2. Boil the instant noodles for 2-3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold running water, then add a few drops of sesame oil and coat the noodles to avoid having them stick together.
3. Add the Shiitake mushrooms along with the soaking liquid to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Gently simmer the mushrooms with a few drops of soy sauce and a pinch of sugar until the liquid it almost completely evaporated. When cooled, cut off the stems and slice the caps thinly.
4. Whisk the eggs in a bowl and drop them onto a heated and lightly oiled skillet to form a flat, paper-thin egg sheet. Cook over very low heat on both sides until set. Slice the sheet into very thin threads.
5. Lightly sear the bean sprouts. Cut the tomato, cucumber and ham into thin slices and also tear the poached chicken breast into long flakes.
6. Serve the noodles in the center of a large shallow dish and arrange the colorful toppings (separately) in a circle around them. Garnish with some chopped spring onions and dress with the chilled sauce. Enjoy!

This recipe is very healthy and very nutritious. You can have freshly squeezed summer-fruit juice to go with it or even a glass of green iced tea to cut down on some extra calories.