No matter the season, few things hit the spot quite like a big bowl of ramen. So for tonight’s dinner, we’re making a chilled variation on the classic, known in Japanese as “hiyashi chuka.” Our seasonal toppings include crisp summer beans and juicy tomato. (Depending on what’s best in your area, you may receive purple or green beans—but note, chefs, that purple beans turn green when cooked!) For extra-succulent results, we’re adding a little water to the pan with our chicken, then dressing it with soy sauce and zesty furikake.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 1/2 lb Fresh Ramen Noodles
- 4 oz Summer Beans
- 2 Scallions
- 1 Cucumber
- 1 Tomato
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Furikake
- 1/4 c Rice Vinegar
- 1/4 c Soy Sauce
Instructions
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients & make the dressing:
Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Snap off and discard the stem ends of the beans; halve on an angle. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice on an angle, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Cut the tomato into 1-inch-wide wedges. In a bowl, combine the sugar, sesame oil, ¾ of the vinegar, half the soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of water; stir until the sugar has dissolved. Cut the cucumber into ¼-inch-thick rounds; transfer to a bowl and toss with half the remaining vinegar.
Cook the chicken:
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides. In a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned chicken and cook 4 to 5 minutes on the first side, or until lightly browned. Flip the chicken and add ½ cup of water to the pan. Cook 4 to 6 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the water has cooked off. Transfer to a cutting board and set aside to cool.
Blanch the beans:
While the chicken cooks, fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside. Add the beans to the pot of boiling water and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly softened. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the cooked beans to the bowl of ice water, leaving the pot of water boiling. Let the beans stand until completely cool. Drain thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels.
Shred & coat the chicken:
Using 2 forks, shred the cooked chicken into large pieces. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add the white bottoms of the scallions, remaining soy sauce, remaining vinegar and half the furikake. Toss to combine; season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.
Cook the noodles:
Add the noodles to the same pot of boiling water, stirring gently to separate. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender. Drain thoroughly; rinse under cold water for 20 to 30 seconds to stop the cooking process. Divide between 2 bowls.
Dress the noodles & plate your dish:
Season the tomato and blanched beans with salt and pepper. Top the bowls of cooked noodles with the dressing, coated chicken, marinated cucumber and seasoned tomato and beans. Garnish with the green tops of the scallions and remaining furikake. Enjoy!