Spicy Peanut Noodles

Ingredients

• 7 oz (200g) noodles (ramen, soba, or spaghetti)
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1 cucumber, julienned
• 1 spring onion, thinly sliced
• Fresh coriander
• Crushed peanuts, for topping
• Lime wedges

Peanut sauce:

• 3 tbsp peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp maple syrup or sugar
• 1 tbsp sriracha (adjust to taste)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2-3 tbsp warm water (to thin)

Instructions

1. Boil the noodles. Cook noodles in a large pot of heavily salted water according to packet instructions. Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Rinsing stops the cooking process and removes surface starch, preventing the noodles from clumping into a sticky brick.
2. Emulsify the sauce. In a large bowl, whisk the peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, maple syrup, sriracha, and minced garlic together. The sauce will look thick and seized at first. Slowly drizzle in 2-3 tbsp of warm water while whisking until it emulsifies into a smooth, pourable consistency.
3. Coat the strands. Add the cold, drained noodles to the sauce bowl. Toss aggressively with tongs until every single strand is heavily coated in the peanut sauce.
4. Assemble and garnish. Divide the noodles into bowls. Top generously with the julienned carrot, cucumber, spring onion, fresh coriander, and crushed peanuts. Serve with a lime wedge to squeeze over immediately before eating.

Notes

Critical insight: Do not skip rinsing the noodles under cold water. Without it, hot noodles will absorb the sauce too quickly and turn into a dense, gummy paste rather than a sleek, slurpy bowl of noodles.

Substitutions: You can use any nut or seed butter if you have an allergy; tahini or sunflower seed butter works brilliantly. Swap maple syrup for honey or brown sugar. If you don't have fresh noodles, dried spaghetti is an entirely valid substitute in a pinch.

Storage: These are arguably better the next day straight from the fridge as the flavors deepen. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If the sauce thickens too much overnight, splash in a little warm water or soy sauce and toss vigorously to loosen.

Variations: Add shredded rotisserie chicken, crispy tofu, or edamame to bump up the protein. For extra heat, drizzle with a tablespoon of crispy chili oil right before serving.

Pairs with: Serve cold as a side alongside hot Smashed Cucumber Salad or as a main meal with Crispy Chicken Thighs.