Beat the Houston heat with Riel's cold sesame noodles.

Cold sesame noodles layered with crisp veggies and a zesty vinaigrette are satisfying year-round, but even more so during Houston's dog days of summer. Like gazpacho or citrusy seafood ceviche, these spiced noodles, served chilled, offer a refreshing alternative to otherwise steaming or sizzling bowls.

A product of the culinary movement in New York City in the '70s when Chinese chefs introduced Szechuan cooking to diners, cold sesame noodles have evolved in a multitude of ways in the years since. For obvious reasons, it's highly sought after in warmer climates, making it the quintessential summer eat here in Houston. In lieu of meat, the dish boasts deep flavor from a zesty vinaigrette, which when tossed with fresh, crisp vegetables like cucumber, carrots and green onions, results in a tasty mouthful.

In Asiatown, haunts like Mian and San Dong Noodle House have long been hot spots for cold noodles, but the dish is prevalent at inner-loop restaurants too. Mala Sichuan serves "funky cold noodles," which combines boiled wheat noodles with garlic and spicy sesame-based vinaigrette, while Heights newbie Loro offers rice noodles moist with a chile vinaigrette.

At Riel in Montrose, chef Ryan Lachaine recently added a version to his summer menu—and he's spilling the recipe. In theory, cold sesame noodles seem simple enough to prepare, but it's the addition of a few star ingredients that make them really shine as a main. Lachaine's noodles are a cinch to make at home with fresh veggies and a few pantry staples. Spoiler alert: They taste even better the next day.

1/2 cup soy sauce or tamari sauce 2 tablespoons sesame oil 1/4 cup neutral oil 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar 2 tablespoons sambal 1/2 cup sugar or honey 1 1-inch knob ginger, grated 3 cloves garlic, chopped

Instructions: Whisk together ingredients to combine and set aside.

1-pound bag sweet potato noodles or starch noodles 10 shiitake mushrooms, sliced 1 bunch scallions, sliced 1 carrot, julienned 2 radishes, sliced 1 large cucumber, diced 1 teaspoon chile oil Sesame seeds, to taste

Instructions: Cook noodles as directed on the package and chill in an ice bath. Sauté mushrooms and scallions until cooked through and chill. Combine the noodles, mushrooms, scallions, carrots and radishes in a bowl, and toss with the vinaigrette. Mix cucumbers with chile oil, then add to the noodles. Sprinkle liberally with sesame seeds. Serve chilled.

From chef Ryan Lachaine of Riel Restaurant in Houston

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Megha McSwain is a food writer for Chron.

Prior to joining the Chron team in May 2022, Megha worked as a freelance journalist, contributing to Eater Houston, Houstonia Magazine, CultureMap and The Daily Meal. She previously served as the food editor for luxury lifestyle magazine Houston CityBook for three years, and hosted the food and drink podcast Sip & Savor.

Megha is an Indian-born American who migrated with her parents to Houston in the late '80s and has lived here ever since. She currently lives in Garden Oaks with her husband and rescue pup, and in addition to her work at Chron, she contributes nationally to foodnetwork.com.