Smashed Cucumber and Sesame Noodle Salad

Ingredients

• 300g soba noodles
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 cucumbers
• ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 15g fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 tbsp chilli oil
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 200g frozen edamame beans, podded
• 6 radishes, thinly sliced
• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 2 spring onions, extra, thinly sliced, to serve
• chilli oil, to drizzle, to serve
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted in a dry pan, to serve
• 15g fresh coriander, roughly torn, to serve
• Steamed jasmine rice, to serve
• Pickled daikon, to serve

Method

1. Lay the cucumbers on a chopping board and smash firmly along their length with the flat side of a large knife or a rolling pin until they split and crack open — the rough surfaces drink up the pickle far better than clean knife cuts.
2. Tear the smashed cucumbers into rough 3–4cm chunks and toss with the rice vinegar, caster sugar, chilli flakes and a generous pinch of salt. Set aside for 15 minutes to lightly pickle — you'll see liquid pool in the bowl as the salt draws the water out.
3. Salt the pasta water generously — it should taste like the sea — then cook the soba noodles for 5–6 minutes until just tender with a little bite. Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold running water until the noodles feel cool and the starch is gone, otherwise they turn gluey as they sit.
4. Toss the drained noodles with 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil to stop them clumping, then spread on a tray and leave to cool completely.
5. While the noodles cool, drop the edamame into well-salted boiling water for 3 minutes until bright green and tender, then drain and rinse under cold water to lock in the colour.
6. Whisk the dressing in a bowl: soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, tahini, grated garlic, grated ginger, honey and chilli oil. The raw garlic is the only risk here — because it's not cooked, grate it fine so it disappears into the dressing rather than hitting you in fragrant little hot spots; if it smells harsh, let the dressing sit 10 minutes and the rice vinegar will mellow it. Taste and season — most of the salt comes from the soy, but a pinch ties it together.
7. Drain any excess liquid from the pickled cucumber and pat lightly with kitchen paper, otherwise the salad pools watery at the bottom of the bowl.
8. Tip the noodles, edamame, spring onions, radishes and smashed cucumber into a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss until every strand is glossy and coated. Taste again — if it's flat, add a splash of rice vinegar or a squeeze of lime from your kitchen if you have one; the acid is what lifts the sesame from heavy to bright.
9. Divide between four bowls alongside steamed jasmine rice and pickled daikon, scatter over the toasted sesame seeds, torn coriander leaves and extra spring onions, and finish with a drizzle of chilli oil pooling at the edge.