Zucchini & Feta Salad
Are you ‘zoodle-ing’ yet? Hands up if you ‘spiralise’ ? Have I got you stumped?
Zucchini, and zucchini noodles have featured regularly in my diet for a few years now in an effort to keep up with my husbands love of pasta. Making noodles out of vegetables is a very easy way to get more vegetables, less carbs and paleofy pasta dishes without making a huge compromise. And I really love zucchini!
Just like durum spaghetti, the zucchini noodles act as a carrier for sauce, without adding a huge amount of flavour. The texture is similar, slippery and you can wind them on your fork, just like pasta! You can use any vegetable but I find zucchinis convenient because they can be served raw or lightly blanched and they are really easy to prepare.
I use this spiraliser, having tried a few other cheaper brands and think that it’s the best. It’s easy to clean, compact and doesn’t have too many parts which need storage. I also use this one.*
This salad is beautiful and fresh and light and can be put together very quickly. I don’t often use peas, but I really like the burst of sweetness they give in this dish in contrast with the saltiness of the goats cheese. Of course omit the feta if you are dairy free. (I use goat feta because it sits much better with me than cows feta – plus I love the flavour.)
In a bowl, mix the zucchini, capsicum, mint and peas, then pour over the dressing to marinate for at least 10 minutes. Garnish with the feta before serving.
3 zucchinis, spiralised
½ small green capsicum, thinly sliced
½ cup green peas, fresh or frozen is fine
50g feta cheese, I love to use Merediths goat feta
handful of mint leaves, shredded
Dressing
Juice of 1 lemon
40g olive oil
¼ teas salt
black pepper to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 pinch garlic powder
2 teas red wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
Mix the dressing ingredients in a bowl, or whiz up in the thermomix.
I added some flaked hot smoked salmon to this salad for a more robust meal – it was sooo good; you could use canned salmon or tuna too.
Needing more ideas for zoodles? Check out my other recipes: Rawlicious Bolognaise and Pork Noodle Salad.
*This is not a paid endorsement. For further tips on how to spiralise, see here.