Ingredients
1 cup English (seedless) or seeded regular cucumbers, cut into matchstick-size pieces
Salt
A sprinkle of sugar (about 1/2 teaspoon)
1 pound ground chicken
3 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
1 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled, then grated or finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground or cracked Szechuan peppercorns
1-2 teaspoons Sriracha or other hot sauce
2 tablespoons canola oil or peanut oil
4 cups chicken stock (32 ounces)
3 tablespoons soy sauce or liquid amino (use liquid amino to make this recipe gluten-free)
1 teaspoon fish sauce or salt, to taste
1 large bunch rainbow or regular Swiss chard, stems removed and leaves coarsely torn
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
8-10 ounces wide rice noodles or egg noodles
Lime wedges, for serving
Directions
In a medium size bowl, sprinkle the cucumbers with some salt and sugar; toss to coat and set aside. In another medium size bowl, combine the chicken, garlic, ginger, Szechuan peppercorns and Sriracha. In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil, two turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the chicken mixture and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Add the stock, 1 cup water, soy sauce and fish sauce. Stir, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a low simmer; add the chard and scallions and stir until the chard is just wilted, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large pot, cook the noodles, according to the package directions. Divide among bowls. Top with the chicken mixture and cucumbers and serve with the lime wedges.
