An I’m-Not-Cooking-Tonight Summer Salad with Roasted Peanuts and Peanut Dressing

Another salad inspired by Sue Li’s Cucumber Salad With Roasted Peanuts and Chile, a salad I’ve made so many times over the years, and made so many variations on that I’ve had to make a “cucumber salad” tag.

Approximate quantities: About 6 Kirby or Persian cucumbers, cut lengthwise into thin spears, then into 1-inch segments; about 6 radishes, sliced into thin disks; 2 large carrots, sliced into thin disks; a pint of sugar snap peas, strings trimmed, and cut lengthwise; 1 large tomato, diced; and 1 avocado, cut into thin slices, and about 1/3-1/2 cup of roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

For the dressing: For the dressing: 2 tablespoons unsalted peanut butter, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of sambal oelek — I actually didn’t use sambal this time, my son doesn’t really like spice so I left it out, and added some Blank Slate chili oil separately

Serves 4 as a side, or 2

Serves 4 as a side, or 2 as a main, over rice.

Cucumber Salad with Peanut-Soy-Sambal Dressing

Approximate quantities: 6 Kirby cucumbers, cut lengthwise into thin spears, then into 1-inch segments; 6 radishes, cut into thin disks; the greens of 1 scallion, finely chopped; 1/2 teaspoon Black Urfa Chili (or any other dried chili flakes); 1/2 teaspoon Dried Icelandic Kelp; salt and pepper to taste

For the dressing: 2 tablespoons unsalted peanut butter, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of sambal oelek

Serves four as a side.

Purple Diakon Radish, Silver Queen, and Cucumber Salad

Approximate quantities: 1 head of red romaine, roughly chopped; 6 Kirby cucumbers, cut lengthwise into thin spears, then into 1-inch segments; 1 purple diakon radish, sliced into thin discs; kernels of 1 ear of grilled silver queen corn; 2 yellow carrots, sliced into thin disks; drizzled with 1/4 teaspoon of red chili flakes, salt and pepper to taste

Peanut-Soy-Rice-Vinegar-and-Sambal Dressing — not pictured — inspired by Sue Li: Whisk together 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 3 tablespoons unsalted peanut butter, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon sambal

Serves four as a side, or two as a main with 1 cup of steamed rice