Spring

Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Lemon, Toasted Almonds, Basil and Shaved Parmesan

May  4, 2014
5
1 Ratings
  • Serves 3-4
Author Notes

I honestly couldn’t believe how delicious this was. It’s so light and pretty, the toasted almonds give it that added little crunch and substance, the julienned basil is lovely, and a simple lemon and EVOO dressing brings the whole thing together. Brendan took one bite and said, “I don’t even like raw zucchini, but this is amazing”. Ummm...agreed. I have a feeling I’m going to be making this a lot this summer. —And What I Ate

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 4 medium-large zucchini, peeled into ribbons
  • 5-6 basil leaves, julienned
  • 1/4 cup toasted almond slices
  • shaved curls of fresh parmesan cheese
  • 3/4 lemon, juiced
  • 1.5 tablespoons EVOO
  • kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper
Directions
  1. Wash the zucchini, then peel into ribbons with a vegetable peeler. I tossed the very first peels that were all green, but kept the rest of them with some green on the sides for a little color. I also stopped when I got down to the seeded middle part, so that the ribbons looked nicer. Add zucchini ribbons to a large bowl.
  2. Squeeze a lemon over the zucchini so that it really soaks in. Add the kosher salt and pepper, then use tongs to gently mix it all together. Let it sit and absorb while you make the rest of the salad.
  3. Bring a small sauté pan to medium heat, then add almond slices. Shake the pan a couple of times and keep a close eye on these so they don’t burn. They should be toasted in 2-3 minutes, tops. Add almonds to the bowl with the zucchini.
  4. Julienne some basil. You can chop it, but the ribbons of basil look so pretty with the ribbons of zucchini. All ribbons, all the time! To julienne, stack the leaves on top of each other, roll them into a little cigar-like shape, then slice from the top down. Throw the basil in with the zucchini and almonds.
  5. Drizzle EVOO over everything, use the tongs to mix together.
  6. Top with some curls of parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

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1 Review

Patricia S. August 16, 2020
This salad is low on preparation time, big on flavor, and simplicity itself. I have made it in cold weather and summer, although I prefer summer when we have fresh zucchini from our garden. So do a million other people - zucchini is quite available this time of year in Northeastern US.
I love it, my husband loves it, I’ve made a single serving as a snack.