I’m not going to lie. Zucchini is not my favorite vegetable. I frequently eat it because it cooks quickly, is always available, and it’s not that expensive. However, it’s never something I get really excited about.
But I recently made a new cooking discovery, and now I’m craving zucchini.
This change happened when I came across Love and Lemons‘ Zucchini Coconut Noodles. In this recipe, she doesn’t cook the zucchini. My issue with zucchini is that it gets mushy quite easily when cooked, and I love vegetables with a crunch (I could munch on broccoli and brussels sprouts all day long).
Lightbulb! Perhaps I just needed to eat it raw.
And so I went about thinking all the ways I could eat zucchini raw, and my mind immediately went towards ribbons of raw zucchini in a salad. Using my trusty, sharp peeler, I peeled off the skin of the zucchini and then went about shaving off long ribbons of zucchini. They were slender and beautiful, and I knew they were going to make any salad an extra special treat.
After I shaved off as much as I could (I had to stop when I got to the seeds), I placed them in a bowl, and poured a bit of dressing over them to give them some time to marinate.
They were then joined by some mixed greens, ribbons of mint, and toasted pine nuts. I took a bite, and it was a life changing moment. At 32, I found a way to love and crave zucchini.
I’ve tried to make this salad every chance I can find, including at my recent anniversary dinner (photo above). I hope you give it a try soon too!
What vegetables did you not like at some time in your life but love now?
Smarts
- For more vinaigrette ideas, check out this video.
- Ingredients
- Zucchini – 1, peeled
- Mint – 2 sprigs, sliced into ribbons
- Dijon mustard – 2 tsp.
- Lemon juice – 1 tbs.
- Red wine vinegar – 2 tbs.
- Olive oil – 4 tbs.
- Mixed greens – 4 oz.
- Pine nuts – 1/4 cup
- Zucchini – Peel off skin. Now use peeler to peel off ribbons of zucchini.
- Mint – Slice into ribbons.
- Dressing – Whisk together mustard, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Toss a third of the vinaigrette with zucchini ribbons and let marinate for at least 10 minutes.
- Toss remainder of vinaigrette greens. Top with zucchini, mint, and pine nuts.