Shiso is an herb with wide, slightly furry leaves in dark purple and green. It’s in the mint family, and it tastes somewhere between mint and basil with a little anise thrown in. You’ll often find it in maki rolls with cucumber or avocado, and as it gets more popular it shows up in everything from salads to simple syrup for cocktails. Here in this cold, summery, one-bowl dinner, it infuses smashed cucumbers and a tangy dressing. My friend Tara once said that soba was the sexiest noodle, and I think she’s right—especially in this dish with so many shades of green. I’ve borrowed the smashing and pre-salting of the cucumbers from a traditional Chinese method of preparing them, and it creates a rough-edged quick pickle that really absorbs the flavors in the bowl. This is a good recipe for improvisation, whether because you don’t have all the ingredients or you just want to change it up. Can’t find shiso? Use basil. No edamame? Try sugar snaps. And the avocado adds a nice creaminess and one more shade of green, but it’s totally optional. Feel free to make this ahead of time. It’s great on day one but really fantastic on day two, after the flavors have had a chance to come together.

Place the cucumbers on the counter, and use a rolling pin or big wooden spoon to whack the cucumbers until they split in several places. Quarter each smashed cucumber lengthwise, and cut each spear into ¾-inch pieces.

Transfer the cucumbers to a large colander. Massage the salt into the cucumbers, then weight them down with a plate and something heavy (a jar filled with water works well). Let the cucumbers drain for 15 minutes, then give them a light rinse under the faucet. This should wash off a bit, but not all, of the salt.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil over medium-high heat. Add the soba and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain the soba and rinse repeatedly to cool the soba down completely.

Whisk together the rice vinegar, sesame oil, olive oil, tamari, sugar and red pepper flakes in a large, wide bowl. Add the soba, edamame, cucumbers, shiso, scallions and sesame seeds, tossing gently to coat the ingredients in the dressing. Serve with the avocado on the side, if using, and let each diner add avocado to their liking.