Hi all! Welcome to my "leafy" series (as promised). Since it is now Summer, I decided to introduce my favorite, refreshing, and of course, easy Caprese Noodle recipe. They can be made in around 15 minutes, and are sure to please anyone who is suffering in the sweltering heat of Summer. So let's get started!

INGREDIENTS

• Somen (wheat noodles)

I love Somen because when eaten cold, they are so light and springy in your mouth. You seriously can never go wrong with these in the Summer.

• Tomatoes (preferably cherry tomatoes because they contain more flavor)
• Basil
• Olive Oil
• Salt

Directions

1. Blanch your tomatoes in hot water. You can definitely keep the skin on for more nutrition, but I prefer to have it peeled because I personally dislike the feeling of tomato skin on my teeth (I'd rather get that firm crunch from basil). After you have blanched your tomatoes and peeled off the skin, stick the tomatoes in the refrigerator to cool.

Tip: It is easier to remove the tomato skin if you cut the end of the tomato like an "x" before blanching it in hot water.

2. Boil your somen noodles by adding a pinch of salt (like you would with any other noodles). Halfway through, when the water is at boiling point, pour in some additional water (I do not know the reasoning behind this, but my auntie at home told me that this trick helps perfect your pasta noodles). Afterwards, place your noodles under a cold ice bath to chill.

3. Now that the hard part (yes, can you believe this was the "hard" part?) is completed, you just have to take your tomatoes out of the refrigerator and dice them into small cubes—don't crush them though because we still need some texture in our dish! Afterwards, rinse your fresh basil and slice them with a rolling motion. However if you want to use the basil as a garnish like I did, just leave them to the side after rinsing.

4. To Assemble:

Squeeze out all the water from your chilled noodles and place them at the base of your plate (twist them into a circle so they stay in place neatly). Next, add the tomatoes and basil. Finally, drizzle (or drench) your noodles with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. There you have it! Your delicious, Summer Caprese Noodles. :)

‍

Thank you for reading through this article! I hope you have lot of fun with this recipe! If you have any questions, please contact me through email or instagram (all linked on the blog).