Cold Sesame Noodles
Quick answer
- Total time
- 25 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 10
About this dish
Cold sesame noodles are a fixture of Chinese-American cooking: chilled wheat noodles coated in a thick, nutty sauce that layers sweet, salty, sour, and savory flavors in a single bowl.
Read more
The sauce is built from Chinese sesame paste or tahini blended with peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil until the mixture becomes a smooth, glossy emulsion. After boiling, the noodles are rinsed under cold running water to stop cooking and firm the texture, then tossed with a small amount of sesame oil to prevent clumping and add sheen. Julienned cucumber and sliced scallion provide freshness and crunch that cut through the dense sauce. Chili flakes or a spoonful of chili oil can be added for heat. Preparing the sauce in advance and refrigerating it means the entire dish can come together in the time it takes to boil a pot of noodles, making it a practical choice on hot summer days. Any leftover sauce works well as a salad dressing.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Place 3 tbsp peanut butter, 2 tbsp sesame oil, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp chili oil, and 1 tsp minced garlic in a mixing bowl.
- 2Season
Whisk for about 1 minute, until no sugar grains are visible and the sauce looks smooth and glossy.
If it is too stiff to coat noodles, loosen it with a small splash of warm water.
- 3Season
Cut 1 cucumber into very thin strips, about 0.2 cm wide, and finely slice 20 g green onion.
Briefly soak the cucumber in cold water, then drain it well so extra moisture does not thin the sauce.
- 4Heat
Bring a large pot of water to a full boil, add 200 g Chinese wheat noodles, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
Drain as soon as the center is cooked but before the noodles become soft and swollen.
- 5Season
Rinse the cooked noodles under cold water, rubbing them lightly with your hands to remove surface starch, then chill them in ice water for 1 minute. Drain thoroughly and shake off water so the sauce stays thick.
- 6Finish
Add the sauce to the chilled noodles and turn from the bottom until evenly coated.
Transfer to a bowl, top with shredded cucumber and scallion, and serve immediately.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Peanut butter sauce mixed with sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, chili oil, and garlic
- Finish cue
- Drain as soon as the center is cooked but before the noodles become soft and swollen.
- Storage and reheating
- Preparing the sauce in advance and refrigerating it means the entire dish can come together in the time it takes to boil a pot of noodles, making it a practical choice on hot summer days.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
25min, 10 ingredients
Category median
35min, 9 ingredients
Based on 233 recipes
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