Cucumber Noodles Salad Recipe With Tahini Sauce

CUCUMBER TOMATO TAHINI SALAD

Steps:

• For the dressing, make my lime tahini sauce recipe by blending tahini paste, lime juice, water, kosher salt together, then stir in a good cup of parsley. You can do this one night ahead of time and save it covered in the fridge. (If the tahini sauce becomes thicker as it sits in the fridge, you can stir in more lime juice or water to loosen it).
• To make the salad, in a medium mixing bowl, combine the tahini sauce with the diced cucumbers, tomatoes, and jalapeno. Add the Aleppo-style pepper, if using. Mix well. Taste and add salt to your liking. And if needed, add more lime juice.

SMASHED CUCUMBERS WITH CUMIN TAHINI

Steps:

• Rinse cucumbers and pat dry. Cut crosswise into pieces about 4 inches long. Cut each piece in half lengthwise.
• On a work surface, place a piece of cucumber (or several) cut side down. Lay the blade of a large knife flat on top the cucumber and smash down lightly with your other hand. The skin will begin to crack, the flesh will break down and the seeds will separate. Repeat until the whole piece is smashed. Break or slice diagonally into bite-size pieces, leaving the seeds behind.
• Place the cucumber pieces in a strainer and toss with a big pinch of salt and a big pinch of sugar. Place a plastic bag filled with ice on top of the cucumbers to serve as a weight and place the strainer over a bowl. Let drain 15 to 30 minutes on the counter, or in the refrigerator until ready to serve, up to 4 hours.
• Make the dressing: In a blender or small food processor, combine lime juice and garlic and blend. Add tahini and 2 tablespoons warm water and blend. Check the texture; you want a smooth, creamy liquid. If necessary, add more warm water and blend again. Add olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, the cumin and the oregano, rubbing the dried leaves between your fingers to release the flavors. Taste for salt and adjust the seasonings.
• Make the chile vinegar, if desired: Place sambal in a bowl and slowly drizzle in white vinegar, stirring to loosen. Taste often and stop adding vinegar when mixture is tart and spicy, but not enough to make your eyes water.
• When ready to serve, shake cucumbers well to drain off any remaining liquid and transfer to a bowl. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and toss. Add half the dressing, toss and taste. Keep adding dressing until cucumbers are well coated but not drowned.
• Serve immediately. For each serving, scoop a large spoonful of cucumbers into a bowl, spoon a little chile vinegar around the edges and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

THAI CUCUMBER SALAD WITH UDON NOODLES

Steps:

• Combine sugar, water, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar and salt are dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in rice vinegar to make dressing.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook udon noodles in boiling water, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender yet firm to the bite, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain. Rinse with cold water and drain.
• Transfer udon to a large bowl. Add cucumbers, shallot, red bell pepper, and Thai chile pepper. Pour dressing into the bowl; toss until salad is evenly coated. Let stand to marinate, at least 20 minutes, before serving.