Cold Sesame Noodles with Chicken and Cucumber

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A big bowl of chewy noodles tossed in a creamy peanut-sesame dressing with shredded rotisserie chicken, crunchy cucumber and carrot. It's built to be eaten at room temperature, so it can sit on the table for an hour and only get better. Everything comes together in one pot and one bowl, and it travels in the same dish you serve it from.

Ingredients

• 1 lb spaghetti or lo mein noodles
• 4 cups shredded cooked rotisserie chicken
• 2 medium English cucumbers, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 large carrots, coarsely grated
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

• 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 3 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 3 tbsp honey
• 4 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 2 tbsp chili crisp or sriracha, plus more to serve

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti for 1 minute past the package time, about 10 to 12 minutes, so the noodles stay tender once chilled. Scoop out 1 1/2 cups of the cooking water and set it aside, then drain the noodles.
2. Rinse the drained noodles under cold running water for 1 minute, tossing with your hands until they are completely cool, then shake dry and toss with 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil in a very large serving bowl so they don't clump.
3. While the noodles cook, whisk the peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, remaining 2 tablespoons sesame oil, honey, garlic, ginger and chili crisp in a medium bowl. Whisk in the reserved cooking water 2 tablespoons at a time, about 3/4 cup total, until the dressing is smooth and pourable like heavy cream.
4. Add the shredded chicken, cucumber, carrot and three-quarters of the scallions to the noodles. Pour over about three-quarters of the dressing and toss with tongs for a full minute until every strand is coated.
5. Taste and adjust: add more soy sauce for salt, a splash of rice vinegar for brightness, or a spoonful of dressing if it looks dry. Refrigerate the remaining dressing separately in a small jar.
6. Scatter the sesame seeds and remaining scallions over the top, cover the bowl, and chill at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. Transport chilled with the reserved dressing jar alongside.
7. At the party, let the bowl sit out for 20 to 30 minutes to come to room temperature, then loosen with the reserved dressing and toss again just before serving. Put extra chili crisp on the table.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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