Easy to assemble but far from basic, this cucumber salad delivers a riot of flavors and textures with snappy cucumbers, velvety peanut sauce, crunchy cilantro-peanut topping and zingy chile oil. The details make all the difference: First, salting the cucumbers mutes the fruit’s subtly bitter notes while heightening flavor. Next, the simple peanut sauce adds richness to the cool cucumbers. (Make a large batch and store it in the fridge to drizzle over vegetables, chicken and salads.) Finally, a flurry of finely chopped peanuts, cilantro and red-pepper flakes gets dusted over the salad in layers to disperse flavor.

Cucumber Salad With Roasted Peanuts and Chile

Ingredients:

• 6 Persian cucumbers (about 1 pound), cut lengthwise into thin spears, then cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces

• Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

• 1/4 cup salted, roasted peanuts

• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves

• 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

• 3 tablespoons natural unsalted peanut butter

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

• 1 small garlic clove, grated

• Chile oil, store-bought or homemade, for serving (optional)

Directions:

Toss cucumbers with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in a colander. Set aside to drain.

Chop peanuts, cilantro and red-pepper flakes together until very fine. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Add up to 1 tablespoon water, if needed, to thin mixture. Transfer salted cucumbers to the bowl with dressing and toss to coat.

To serve, place half of the cucumber salad on the plate, sprinkle with half of the peanut mixture. Repeat with the remaining cucumber salad and peanut mixture. Drizzle with chile oil, if using, and serve immediately.

Total time: 15 minutes, serves 2-4.

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