Spicy Peanut Noodles with Cucumber and Chicken Rey Lopez/photo; Lisa Cherkasky/food styling, for The Washington Post

If you’ve been on social media at all over the past few months, you’ve probably seen that “Cucumber Guy” in one of his many cucumber salad videos. For the uninitiated, these videos feature bleached-blond content creator Logan Moffitt slicing an entire cucumber on a mandolin into a quart-size deli container and dressing it in myriad ways, including versions based on In-N-Out’s animal style fries and jalapeño poppers.

Recently, I shared my tips for how to make a better cucumber salad and included my own take on a spicy peanut version. The salad was so good that I decided to turn it into a more filling meal by adding rice noodles and diced chicken.

My tips for making a better version of Moffitt’s salads include salting the cucumber to get rid of excess moisture (so it doesn’t get watery as it sits) and using a larger container to shake the salad (to make it easier for everything to get evenly distributed). But the one change that I love the most is using the roll cut instead of a mandolin to slice the cucumber. Not only will you be less likely to lose the tip of your finger, but the roll cut also creates better aesthetics, adding visual interest and more irregular edges to hold flavorful ingredients compared with a more uniform cut.

Also known as the oblique cut, the roll cut is used for cylindrical vegetables to make similarly sized but not identical pieces. I was introduced to this technique nearly a decade ago while I was working at Food Network, and it’s been a favorite of mine ever since.

To perform the roll cut:

-Hold your knife at a 45-degree angle to your vegetable and make a cut.

-Then roll the vegetable a quarter or third turn – you don’t need to be precise – on your cutting board and make another cut at the same angle.

-Now, simply repeat this process – roll, cut, roll, cut, roll, cut, etc. – across the length of the vegetable. (You’ll want to adjust the angle of the knife for tapered vegetables, such as carrots, as you move to keep them similarly sized.)

I especially love using this cut when roasting vegetables as it increases the surface area, which can lead to more browning and hence better flavor. (It also can create more varied textures within each piece of produce.) But even in salads and other raw applications, such as these noodles, the increased surface area gives more space for the dressing or sauce to cling to.

In this case, that sauce is a simple combination of peanut butter, rice vinegar and chili crisp. I love these types of peanut sauces because they’re so customizable. Simply whisk together any type of nut or seed butter (or tahini), your favorite hot sauce or spicy condiment, and some vinegar or citrus juice for acid and you’ve got a flavor-packed sauce to add to noodles, dress salads or toss with stir-fries. (You can make further adjustments by adding other ingredients, such as soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and various seasonings, to suit your tastes.)

Though summer is over, I wanted to lean into the ease of Moffitt’s cucumber salads by not requiring any cooking for this dish. The rice noodles only need a soak in hot water to soften, and then you can use leftover or rotisserie chicken to add protein. Toss it all together with the peanut sauce, add a sprinkle of roasted nuts for extra crunch, et voilà! You’ve got a delicious, hearty bowl of noodles in less than half an hour.

The roll cut is used for cylindrical vegetables to make similarly sized but not identical pieces. Rey Lopez/photo; Lisa Cherkasky/food styling, for The Washington Post

Spicy Peanut Noodles with Cucumbers and Chicken

Active time: 10 minutes. Total time: 25 minutes

Servings: 4-6 (makes about 9 cups)

This spicy peanut noodle recipe with chicken is inspired by the cucumber salads that have been taking over social media. A simple sauce made from peanut butter, chili crisp and rice vinegar is packed with loads of flavor. Use store-bought rotisserie chicken or leftovers to make this a no-cook recipe.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Where to buy: Vermicelli rice noodles and chili crisp can be found at Asian or international markets, well-stocked supermarkets, and online.

INGREDIENTS

One (8-ounce) package dried rice vermicelli noodles

1 large English cucumber (1 pound), cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1/4 to 1/2 cup chili crisp, to taste

1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

2 cups (10 ounces) diced cooked chicken (from about 2 breasts)

Chopped roasted, salted peanuts, for serving

DIRECTIONS

Place the noodles in a large bowl, cover with hot water and soak, stirring occasionally, until softened, at least 15 minutes and up to 45 minutes. Drain.

In a medium bowl, toss the cucumber with the salt, and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain.

In another medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the peanut butter, 1/4 cup of the chili crisp and the rice vinegar until combined. (Chili crisp brands can vary in spice levels, so adjust the amount to taste.)

Add the chicken, drained cucumbers and peanut sauce to the softened rice noodles, and toss to combine. Divide among bowls, sprinkle with peanuts and serve.

Substitutions:

For vermicelli rice noodles, use any shape of rice noodle, or any type of cooked pasta or noodle.

For cooked chicken, use cooked shrimp or tofu.

For smooth peanut butter, use crunchy peanut butter, other nut or seed butter, or tahini.

Instead of rice vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.

Nutritional Facts per serving (1 1/2 cups, based on 6) | Calories: 491; Fat: 26 g; Saturated Fat: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 48 g; Sodium: 606 mg; Cholesterol: 21 mg; Protein: 16 g; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 4 g