recipes-to-try
Cold Cucumber Sesame Noodles
Cool, chewy Asian wheat noodles tossed with crisp cucumber, scallions, sesame, garlic, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and chili crisp. This quick cold noodle dish is refreshing enough for summer but bold enough to serve as a light meal, especially with shredded chicken, shrimp, steak, or a jammy egg.
Ingredients
Noodles
- 8 ounces chajangguksu or other Asian wheat noodles
- 1 English cucumber, julienned or very thinly sliced
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Sesame Chili Sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon chili crisp or chili oil, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon tahini, Chinese sesame paste, or smooth peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon honey or sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water, as needed
Optional Toppings
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Additional sliced scallions
- Additional chili crisp
- Shredded cooked chicken
- Sliced cooked steak
- Cooked shrimp
- Jammy soft-boiled egg
Instructions
- Make the Sauce In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chili crisp, tahini or peanut butter, honey, garlic, and ginger. Add 1 tablespoon cold water and whisk until smooth. Add additional water if needed to make a loose, pourable sauce.
- Cook the Noodles Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or according to package directions, until tender but still pleasantly chewy.
- Chill the Noodles Drain the noodles immediately and rinse thoroughly under cold running water, tossing them with your hands or tongs, until completely cool. Drain very well and shake off as much excess water as possible.
- Toss with Sauce Add the cold, well-drained noodles to the bowl with the sesame chili sauce. Toss thoroughly until every strand is evenly coated.
- Add the Cucumber Add the cucumber, most of the scallions, and the sesame seeds. Toss gently to combine.
- Chill and Serve Serve immediately or refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes for an especially cool and refreshing dish. Garnish with remaining scallions, cilantro, additional sesame seeds, or extra chili crisp as desired.
Notes
- The Kikkokin chajangguksu noodles shown on the package cook quickly. Start checking them at about 3 minutes so they remain chewy.
- Rinsing the noodles thoroughly in cold water stops the cooking and removes excess surface starch, helping prevent the noodles from becoming gummy.
- Drain the noodles especially well before adding the sauce. Excess water will dilute the sesame dressing.
- For a less spicy version, reduce the chili crisp to 1 teaspoon.
- For a stronger sesame flavor, use Chinese sesame paste or tahini rather than peanut butter.
- For a heartier main dish, add shredded chicken, sliced steak, shrimp, or a soft-boiled egg.