Zucchini is exploding almost everywhere in my fridge right now. Sliced, diced, and whole, they are overtaking everything for me right now. My current obsession is roasting cubed zucchini with potatoes and carrots, topping with roasted red pepper salsa (coming soon!) and tacofying the whole business. But, I wanted to try out the zucchini noodle approach, peeling the long vegetable into ribbons of noodles that are picture perfect. A $5 Y peeler is the easiest tool to create the long, thin swaths of gorgeous veggie curls for this salad. Zucchini ribbons in everything, including this zucchini pesto salad!
Originally, when I purchased these zucchinis I didn’t have a specific recipe in mind. But, when I was flipping through the Smitten Kitchen cookbook, I spotted a salad recipe I knew I could make in 5 minutes flat. The easiest way to throw together this salad is by using already prepared or leftover pesto, whirring it up with a little extra non dairy milk to make a creamy dressing base. This would also make a great slaw if you choose to shred the zucchini, but the ribbons make it a touch prettier. Let’s take advantage of the fresh loveliness of the overabundance of zucchinis right now, come winter, I know I will wish I had more!
Zucchini Ribbon Pesto Salad
Ingredients
- 1 zucchini (yellow, green , or half of each)
- 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
- For the pesto:
- 1 cup basil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup almonds
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- To prepare pesto: Combine basil, garlic, almonds, nutritional yeast, water, and salt in bowl of a food processor or blender. Blend on medium to high until smooth, adding more 1/3 cup non dairy milk at the end. Set aside.
- For the salad: Peel zucchinis with Y peeler or hand peeler, forming long ribbons. Toss with pesto and refrigerate until ready to serve. Will keep for 2-3 days in a sealed container in the fridge.
Kath says
Too impaitant to ribbon…looking forward to the taco recipe since I have a zuchhini the size of a small child in my fridge right now!
The Frosted Vegan says
It’s coming for ya lady!!
Arthur in the Garden! says
Yummy!
[email protected] says
Beautiful salad! I’ve never thought of combining yellow and green zucchini and as ribbons!
The Frosted Vegan says
It is gorgeous, right?!
Ari @ Ari's Menu says
That has got to be the healthiest pesto I have ever seen, and with those beautiful zucchini ribbons? Yes, please.
The Frosted Vegan says
They are beauts, aren’t they?
lozziefitness says
I particularly like the sound of the pesto in this recipe. Being a vegan diet beginner I was saddened when I found a lot of store bought pest contained cheese products – I’m looking forward to giving this a try.
Lozzie x
http://lozziefitness.wordpress.com
The Frosted Vegan says
Nutritional yeast is a perfect substitute for the cheese in pesto : )