Cold cucumber and shirataki noodle salad with hot Sichuan sesame dressing
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This stunning Sichuan-inspired shirataki noodle salad recipe from Shu Han Lee uses deliciously chewy shirataki noodles to create a simple, flavour-packed dish perfect for a midweek meal. The dressing is packed with fierce Sichuan peppercorns, sesame paste and soy for that characteristic heat of this region of China.
Ingredients
Shirataki noodle salad
- shirataki noodles , 2 packets
- 1/2 cucumber
- 2 spring onions , finely chopped
- 1 handful of coriander , finely chopped
- 1 handful of roasted peanuts , crushed
Sichuan-style dressing
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 garlic clove , finely chopped
- 2 tbsp of soy sauce , good quality. I tend to use Kikkoman regular soy sauce (not reduced salt, and not tamari). Feel free to use a different bottle, but do taste and adjust the seasoning as needed
- 2 tbsp of black rice vinegar, You can use balsamic vinegar in a pinch, but reduce the amount of sugar. Black rice vinegar has a similar wonderful musky depth, but is less sweet
- 1 tbsp of tahini , (sesame paste)
- 1 tbsp of light brown sugar
- 2 tsp chilli oil
- 1 tsp groundnut oil
- water, to loosen
Method
1
Drain the shirataki noodles, rinsing with cold water before setting aside in a sieve. You want to make sure that the noodles are well-drained or the dish will be too watery
2
Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry pan over a medium heat, until they turn fragrant and start to smoke. Remove from the heat and allow them to cool before grinding coarsely. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can put them into a ziplock bag, seal, and crush with something heavy
3
Halve the cucumber lengthwise and remove the watery seeds, before julienning into thin, long strips. Set aside with the noodles
4
Stir together all the ingredients for the dressing, adding just enough water to get a runny sauce. Make sure to stir vigorously so that the sugar dissolves and everything is well combined
5
Combine the noodles with the vegetables, peanuts and dressing, tossing well to combine. Divide into bowls and finish with a final sprinkle of chopped coriander and crushed peanuts before digging in
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Cold cucumber and shirataki noodle salad with hot Sichuan sesame dressing
