Total time: 31 min • Prep: 25 min • Cook: 6 min • Serves: 4 • Difficulty: Easy

Try this cool and flavorful salad in just 30 minutes. Great for dinner or lunch, the cucumber noodles are a little crunchy and very refreshing on a hot day or night. Add a little steamed brown rice to absorb the wonderful juices and make the meal more hearty, if desired. Serve immediately after preparing for maximum crispness. Choose fresh, firm cucumbers for this salad - they produce the crispest and most refreshing-tasting noodles. The chili garlic sauce, available in the international section of most good supermarkets, delivers just the right punch of garlic and warm, round spice. In addition to Asian dishes, try it to roast chicken, dolloped on pizza, or to make a spicy mayonnaise. Asian rice vinegar adds the perfect touch of brightness to salads and stir-fries, thanks to a mild acidity and hint of sweetness. Choose the plain rice vinegar over the seasoned type to avoid additives, such as sugar or corn syrup, and salt or MSG.