WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
There’s a reason zucchini noodles are so popular: The squash is easy to work with and produces long, satisfying noodles with a pleasant texture and neutral flavor. We took advantage of that ease and neutrality to create a boldly flavored, Asian-inspired salad with zucchini noodles as the base. We tried both boiling the noodles and stir- frying them to cook them, but in the end, we realized that leaving the zucchini noodles raw gave us the best texture and flavor. We added red bell pepper, shredded carrot, and sautéed broccoli and replaced the usual peanut sauce with tahini, a nutty, buttery paste made from ground sesame seeds. Soy sauce, ginger, rice vinegar, and garlic rounded out the Asian- inspired dressing. If possible, use smaller, in-season zucchini, which have thinner skins and fewer seeds. We prefer to spiralize our zucchini at home for the best flavor, but you can use store-bought zucchini noodles. You’ll need 2½ pounds of noodles.
SERVES: 4
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- ½ cup tahini
- 5 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 12 ounces broccoli florets, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 3 pounds zucchini, trimmed
- 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch-wide strips
- 1 carrot, peeled and shredded
- 4 scallions, sliced thin on bias
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
INSTRUCTIONS:
DRESSING
- Process tahini, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, honey, hot sauce, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt in blender until smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer to large serving bowl.
SALAD
- Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add broccoli and cook until softened and spotty brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate and let cool slightly.
- Using spiralizer, cut zucchini into ⅛-inch-thick noodles, cutting noodles into 12-inch lengths with kitchen shears as you spiralize (every 4 or 5 revolutions). Add zucchini, bell pepper, carrot, scallions, and broccoli to bowl with dressing and toss to combine. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve.
