- 1 pound chicken cutlets or tenders
- 1 pound soba noodles
- 1/2 seedless cucumber (usually plastic-wrapped)
- 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter (not natural)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons Chinese chile garlic paste (preferably Lan Chi) or Sriracha (Southeast Asian chile sauce) plus additional for serving
- 1/4 cup chopped scallions
- Special equipment: an adjustable-blade slicer with 1/4-inch julienne blade
- Cut chicken into 1/2-inch-wide strips, then cook in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water , stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer chicken with a slotted spoon to a bowl (drain any excess liquid), reserving water in pot.
- Return water to a boil, then cook noodles, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 4 to 8 minutes. Reserve 3/4 cup noodle-cooking water and drain noodles in a colander. Rinse noodles under cold water to stop cooking, then drain well.
- While noodles cook, cut cucumber lengthwise into julienne strips, slicing until you reach core, then rotating cucumber a quarter turn, continuing to slice and rotate until left with nothing but core. Pat dry.
- Whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, chile paste, and reserved cooking water until smooth.
- Divide noodles among large serving bowls. Spoon about 1/4 cup peanut sauce over noodles in each bowl, then divide chicken, cucumber, and scallions among bowls. Serve immediately with remaining sauce and additional chile paste. Stir noodles just before eating.