I love a cold noodle salad on a hot day. This particular salad is my absolute favorite. The sauce is creamy and tangy and spicy all at once, the noodles are chewy, and there’s a bit of a crunch from the cucumber and the peanuts on top. It’s fabulous. It also scales up beautifully for a potluck or a picnic and if you do have leftovers, the flavor only gets better the next day.
This recipe is a modification of one by Kenji Lopez-Alt in his wonderful cookbook The Wok. I tweaked it to suit my particular tastes; I love a chewy noodle. I’m sure you’ll enjoy them as much as I do.
Ingredients
- Sweet potato vermicelli
- Green onions
- English or Persian cucumber
- Fresh cilantro
- Tahini
- Toasted sesame oil
- Gluten free soy sauce or tamari
- Balsamic vinegar
- Granulated sugar
- Chili crisp or chili oil (spiciness to taste)
- Garlic
- Roasted peanuts
Suggested Equipment
A mandoline isn’t necessary but is very helpful in slicing the cucumber into matchsticks efficiently.
Detailed Method
Put on a 3 quart pot of water and bring to a boil. Do NOT salt the water. While the water is coming to temperature, wash the vegetables and prepare your cutting board.
Cook the noodles in boiling water for 8 minutes or as directed by the package. While the water is boiling, prepare a large bowl of cold water.
Drain the cooked noodles and immediately dump them into the prepared bowl of cold water. Stir the noodles to rinse, then drain again. Refill the bowl with cold water and rinse a second time. At this point you can leave the noodles in the water until you are done mixing the sauce or drain them and set them aside.
Chop your vegetables: cut your cucumber into 3 or 4 inch lengths, then julienne cut them so they form thin sticks. If you have one available, I prefer to use a mandoline to speed things up. Chop your cilantro roughly, including the upper portion of the stems for extra crunch. Trim the green parts of the green onions off (I save mine in a plastic bag in the fridge) and chop the white and light green parts into thin rings.
After your veggies are chopped, it’s time to make the sauce. Pick a bowl big enough for the noodles and the vegetables to fit in, then mix together the remaining ingredients. The tahini will act as an emulsifying agent and you will end up with a creamy red sauce. If the oil and water ingredients aren’t mixing, using a wisk should help.
The chili crisp or chili oil (depending on which you are using) can be adjusted to taste. If you enjoy spicy food, the sauce can sustain up to 4 tablespoons of chili oil before it gets too heavy. If you’re worried about spice level, start with 1 tablespoon or, if you aren’t inclined towards spicy food, even less. Taste the sauce and then gradually increase the amount to your desired spice level.
If you’d like to omit the chili oil all together, substitute 2 tablespoons of neutral oil.
Mix the cilantro and green onions into the sauce.
Drain the noodles, if you haven’t already, then toss with the cucumbers and the sauce. The noodles can be chilled or served immediately.
Place the peanuts in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin or the bottom of a jar or bottle.
When you serve the noodles, sprinkle the crushed peanuts over the top for a delicious extra crunch.
Gluten Free Spicy Cucumber Noodle Salad
This spicy cucumber noodle salad is phenomenal. The sauce is creamy and tangy and spicy all at once, the noodles are chewy, and there's a bit of a crunch from the cucumber and the peanuts on top. It also scales up beautifully for a potluck or a picnic and if you do have leftovers, the flavor only gets better the next day.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Bring a medium sized pot of water to boil, then add the noodles. Cook for 8 minutes minimum (or longer if directed by the package).Â
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Fill a large bowl with cold water. Strain the noodles, then rinse in the prepared bowl of water. Drain, then rinse in cold water a second time. Set aside.
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Julienne cut the cucumber. Cut the green onion into thin rounds, setting aside the green parts. Roughly chop the cilantro leaves and stems. Set the vegetables aside.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the tahini, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, toasted sesame oil, sugar, chili crisp, and garlic. Once all components are fully incorporated and the sauce is homogenous, add the cilantro and green onion and mix.Â
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Drain the noodles and add to the sauce along with the cucumber. Toss to mix.
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Serve topped with crushed peanuts.