Green beans, string beans, snap beans, haricots verts—whatever you like to call ’em-are the simple, stringy veggies that have graced practically every dinner table. Especially around the holidays.

Take advantage of cucumbers and green beans, which are at their peak and full of flavor, in this cool noodle salad where they add crunch in a tangle of earthy soba (buckwheat) noodles. They're tossed ...