Use up surplus homegrown cucumbers with this rice noodle dish. It makes an excellent lunchbox option and you can tailor it to make it less spicy, if you like
Prep:15 mins
Serves 2
1 cucumber100g rice noodles2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce2 tbsp tahini2 tsp rice wine vinegar½ tsp Sichuan peppercorns, crushed and toasted½ tsp chilli flakes, plus extra to serve (optional)pinch of caster sugar10g coriander, roughly chopped
STEP 1Using a rolling pin or heavy frying pan, lightly smack the cucumber across all sides, until splitting. Scrape out the seeds, cut into chunks and put in a sieve. Sprinkle well with salt and leave to drain by setting the sieve over a bowl.STEP 2Meanwhile, soak the rice noodles in boiling water until tender, then rinse with cold water and set aside.STEP 3Whisk together the soy sauce, tahini, rice wine vinegar, Sichuan peppercorns, chilli flakes and caster sugar in a bowl. Rinse the salted cucumbers well, then add to the dressing, along with the chopped coriander and noodles.STEP 4Mix well to combine, then divide between two bowls, sprinkling with more chilli flakes, if you like.
