Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Toasted Almonds

(photo by Mei Chun Jau)

This is a delightfully fast, tasty, and very healthy salad that offers an alternative way to prepare fresh zucchini.

Did you know zucchini is loaded up with lots of vitamins and nutrients like 35% of your Vitamin C requirement, and lots of potassium? (source) Better to take advantage of all that goodness in it’s full form when eating the zukes raw! Then add almonds on top and you have a very well balanced dish that brings carbs, protein, vitamins and summer fresh flavor to the table.

I found this recipe in Bon Appetit magazine and have fallen in love with the freshness and texture offered up by this dish. Great way to plow through your summer squash harvest!

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup almonds – I like the sliced for the nice thin crunch!
• 2-3 large zucchinis/yellow squash
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 lemon
• 2 TB olive oil
• Parmesan or other salty, hard cheese

Steps:

1. Heat up a pan to medium and toss the almonds in to dry roast. Keep stirring so they don’t burn (too much). It’s done when you get that nice toasty almond smell coming off the pan! (Maybe 5-7 min) Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Using a veggie peeler, shave off ribbons of the squash into a bowl. Stop when you get too close to the core of the squash and it gets hard to get nice long pretty strips. (Save the cores to be sauteed later!)
3. Mince or press the garlic. Zest the lemon.
4. Whisk together garlic, zest & juice of 1 lemon, and salt/pepper to taste to make dressing.
5. Toss the zucchini & dressing. Add almonds and shave some parmesan on top. Toss again just before serving (leaving the almonds on top for a pretty picture )