Zucchini Noodle Salad
Summer zucchini highlights this zucchini noodle salad recipe. For this vegan summer salad, the zucchini is served raw in the salad with a zesty tahini dressing with an umami flare! Dinner in under 30 minutes!
Servings: 4
Calories: 333kcal
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Zucchini spiralized into noodles, cut into shorter noodles. 6 small zucchini or 3 medium; do not use LARGE zucchini; large zucchini is used for baking.
- 2 bunches Broccolini long stems removed and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- 1 Red Bell Pepper cut into bite-sized strips
- 1 cup Shredded Carrots
- 1 bunch Scallions (garnish) diced
- ⅛ cup Black Sesame Seeds (garnish)
Dressing
- ½ cup Tahini Add to the blender last
- 5 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
- 1 inch Fresh Ginger Root
- 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
- 2 teaspoons Hot Sauce I used Cholula
- 1 clove Garlic
- ½ cup Water
Instructions
Dressing
- Add all the dressing ingredients a blender cup, and blend until smooth.
- Always add the tahini (or any sticky ingredient) last so it doesn't stick in the bottom of the blender.
- Store in a sealed container until ready to use the dressing.
- I only use half the dressing in the salad, but you can add more if desired.
Noodle Salad
- Preheat an oven to 425 degrees if cooking the broccolini, or skip this step if adding it raw.
- Place the broccolini pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Cook for 15 minutes, and remove from the oven to allow to cool.
- Spiralize the zucchini, and cut the long strings into shorter pieces to make it easier to eat.
- Remove the pickled red onions from the jar and lay on a paper towel to remove any excess brine.
- Place the zucchini noodles, cooled broccolini, red bell peppers, pickled red onions, and carrots into a large bowl.
- Pour half the dressing over the ingredients, and use tongs to combine the ingredients and coat the salad in the dressing.
- Add more dressing if desired, or serve additional dressing on the side.
- To serve, add a serving to a bowl. Garnish with green onions, black sesame seeds, and microgreens if desired.
Video
Notes
- Because zucchini noodles are often 12 inches or longer when spiralized, I suggest cutting the noodles into smaller pieces to make it easier to eat as a salad.
- If cooking the broccolini, choose the method preferred, but make sure the broccolini is cool before adding to the salad.
- When using pickled red onions or any pickled vegetables, remove them from the jar and lay them on a paper towel to remove any excess brine. This prevents the salad from taking on the taste of the pickling brine.
- Although the dressing is thick, it is once added to the salad because of the natural water content in zucchini.
- The dressing recipe makes more dressing than needed, so you can add more dressing if desired, serve additional dressing on the side, or use the dressing for another salad during the week. However, the dressing can be frozen for up to three months.
- Even though the salad is dressing in advance, it stays fresh for 3-5 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Calories: 333kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 346mg | Potassium: 1336mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 8195IU | Vitamin C: 314mg | Calcium: 211mg | Iron: 4mg