Julienned Zucchini Salad
Julienned Zucchini Salad
This salad is a spectacular way to showcase the summer abundance of zucchini. It is also a lesson in the power of salt to transform a vegetable. Zucchini, like cucumbers and eggplant, is a very wet vegetable. Since raw zucchini can weep moisture, throwing off the balance of the dressing, it’s usually best to salt it in advance.
MANTENER PANTALLA ENCENDIDA
Rendimiento: Serves 4
Ingredientes
Ingredients
¼ cup chopped walnuts or whole pine nuts2 medium zucchini (or 1 medium zucchini and 1 medium yellow summer squash), julienned
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest plus
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for sprinkling
Método de preparación
- Heat a large dry skillet over medium-high heat, add the walnuts, and toast them, shaking the pan often, until they are lightly browned and fragrant. Transfer the nuts to a small plate to cool.
- Place the zucchini in a colander, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, and toss to combine. Set the colander over the sink to let the zucchini drain for 30 minutes.
- Put the zucchini under cold running water to wash off the excess salt, then turn it out onto a kitchen towel and pat it dry.
- Whisk together the lemon zest and juice, shallot, mustard, and garlic in a small bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the oil and whisk until the vinaigrette is thick and emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Place the zucchini in a large bowl and toss with vinaigrette. Sprinkle the toasted nuts and some Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese over the top and serve.
Variation: Zucchini, Tomato, and Basil Salad
Add 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes and ¼ cup fresh basil chiffonade and toss with the zucchini and vinaigrette. Replace the Parmigiano-Reggiano with ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese.
Tip:
A vegetable peeler can be used to shave thin ribbons of zucchini for the salad.