Spiralised Raw Summer Courgette Salad

This spiralised summer courgette salad is unbelievably tasty and even better it’s carb count free! Enjoy luscious long lengths of courgette, smothered in a pesto and artichoke dressing with roasted tomatoes and mozzarella. A perfect salad for an easy lunch with crusty bread to soak up the delectable sauce or simply served as a side salad to your main course.


spiralised summer courgette salad in a bowl with a fork lifting some in the air

I am a big fan of courgettes, especially in their spiralised form. I find them so versatile as they are great raw or as an addition to a cooked dish to help reduce the overall carb count.


In this spiralised summer courgette salad, the courgettes aren’t cooked, just simply spiralised raw. I know you can buy already spiralised veg which if that’s for you then definitely do that. However, I spiralise my own veg as it just seems much fresher and it’s cheaper too. I have to say I bought my spiraliser a few years ago on a whim but it has now become an essential tool in my kitchen. It’s a really handy piece of kit and they aren’t ridiculously expensive either.


Along with the spiralised courgettes, this salad includes plump roasted cherry tomatoes. The roasting amplifies their wonderful flavour and adds a delicious natural sweetness. I then added a dressing of marinated artichoke dressing with added lemon and green pesto which sticks beautifully to the spiralised courgette. This is then all finished off with mozzarella (balls or ripped) and flakes of a hard vegetarian cheese.


What are the benefits of eating courgettes?

courgettes cut and spiralised

Courgettes are a summer squash, that are at their best from June to September in the UK. They are incredibly versatile vegetables thanks to their subtle flavour profile. So can take lots of other flavours being added to them like in my zesty pan-fried courgettes

Courgettes in my opinion are best eaten raw or very gently cooked to avoid their combination of crunchy skin and soft flesh from becoming overly soggy. but did you also know that they are a really nutritious vegetable too?

They are packed full of nutrients and minerals, most notably, they are a great source of vitamins A and C. Whilst raw courgettes will offer a slightly different nutritional profile than cooked, a lot of their goodness is in their skin. So don’t peel them!

Half a large courgette counts as one of your 5-a-day (one portion of veg or fruit is 80g raw weight).

The humble courgette seems to be great at absorbing flavours, work incredibly well cooked or raw, is an easy option to help increase your veg intake and is great for bulking out dishes.

Oh, and they are also known as Zucchini!

Can I eat Courgettes Raw?

Yes, you can!

Raw courgettes are wonderful eaten raw. You can spiralise or even shave them into ribbons as a great side dish. You can then add a dressing and voila you have an amazing summer salad!

Raw courgettes will offer a slightly different nutritional profile than cooked ones, as they have a little less vitamin A but more vitamin C.


What is a spiraliser?

spiraliser and spiralised courgettes

The spraliser is an inexpensive kitchen tool that simply creates long spiralised lengths of your chosen vegetables into fake noodles. It basically works like a giant pencil sharpener, rotating the vegetable against sharp serrated blades to produce the vegetable noodles (or shavings).

They became very popular with the rise of Keto diets, but don’t be put off by this past as I can assure you that they aren’t just for the carb adverse.

A spiraliser is a really great tool to add to your kitchen cupboard. They aren’t too big so not too hard to store. They come in the manual form as pictured here or you can, of course, get an electric version.

But I have to say my Lidl middle aisle, hand crank spiraliser is brilliant. In fact, I would go to say better than the electric versions I have used that waste so much of the veg. I found a similar inexpensive version here.

But if you don’t have a spiraliser then you could use a vegetable peeler instead and make courgette ribbons


What you will need for this Raw courgette salad

ingredients for spiralised raw summer courgette salad

Courgettes

  • Full of essential vitamins and minerals
  • In particular, they are a great source of Vitamin A
  • In their raw state, however, they have slightly less vitamin A than when cooked

Cherry Tomatoes

  • Deliciously sweet and packed with vitamin C
  • They are also a wonderful source of lycopene

Hard Vegetarian cheese

Mini Mozzarella Balls

  • A medium-fat soft cheese
  • Pearl or mini are the smallest mozzarella balls you can get, otherwise, just rip up a larger ball.
  • If you can’t find Mozzarella Balls then simply tear up a larger ball

And for the Dressing:

Vegan Green Pesto

  • A cupboard staple that is widely available in UK supermarkets
  • So versatile as it can be used in many dishes and dressings

Lemon juice

  • For extra acidity and freshness

Marinated Artichoke Salad dressing

  • A delicious dressing that is full of garlic and herbs which add a fabulous extra flavour to this salad.
  • Only takes 5 minutes to make

How to make spiralised raw summer courgette salad

cherry tomatoes in a roasting tin

Step 1

The longest part of making this salad is roasting the tomatoes.

So start by placing the cherry tomatoes in a roasting tin, drizzle with a little oil and season. Cook in a preheated oven at 200c /180c fan/gas mark 6 for around 15mins.

artichoke dressing with pesto in a bowl

Step 2

Whilst the tomatoes are cooking you can make the dressing.

Using your already prepared marinated artichoke salad dressing, stir in the pesto and lemon juice.

courgettes cut and spiralised

Step 4

Once the dressing is made you can spiralise your courgettes

bowl of spiralised courgette and pesto marinated artichoke dressing with a tin of roasted cherry tomatoes at the side

Step 5

When the tomatoes are cooked, combine them with the spiralised courgette in a bowl. Mix in the dressing, add the mozzarella and shavings of Italian cheese to finish.



How to serve your courgette salad

This is a really delicious lunch option that may be served with some slices of crusty bread or even as a side salad option with grilled meats or fish.

spiralised summer courgette salad in a bowl

If you want to add some complex carbohydrates for a more filling option then you could try some wholegrain or brown rice pasta


Storing your courgette salad

This salad is best eaten straight away as it is slightly warm from the roast tomatoes. It can be chilled for a few hours before serving but I like to bring it out a bit beforehand so it can get back to room temperature.

However, if you have any leftovers, it will keep happily in the fridge for a couple of days in an airtight container.


Diabetes Note

A no-carb count salad that is perfect on its own, as a side dish or simply served with lots of crusty bread.

If you want to add some complex carbohydrates for a more filling option then you could try some wholegrain or brown rice pasta. But if you want to keep it simple then just some crusty bread to soak up all those lovely juices!


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 Spiralised Raw Summer Courgette Salad

Spiralised Raw Summer Courgette Salad

Recipe by Michelle Rorke

This spiralised summer courgette salad is unbelievably tasty, quick to make and carb count free..

Course: Salads, SidesCuisine: British MediterraneanDifficulty: Easy
5.0 from 1 vote
Servings

2

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Total time

25

minutes
Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

  • 250 g cherry tomatoes

  • 2 large courgettes

  • 125 g mozzarella balls

  • 50 g hard vegetarian cheese

  • Dressing
  • 1 tbsp vegan green pesto

  • 1/2 lemon, squeezed

  • 1/2 marinated artichoke salad dressing

Directions

  • Place the cherry tomatoes in a roasting tin, drizzle with a little oil and season.
    Cook in a preheated oven at 200c /180c fan/gas mark 6 for around 10-15 mins.
  • Whilst the tomatoes are cooking you can make the dressing.
    Using your already prepared marinated artichoke salad dressing, stir in the pesto and lemon juice.
  • Now you can spiralise your courgettes
  • Once the tomatoes are cooked, combine them with the spiralised courgette in a bowl. Mix in the dressing, add the mozzarella and shavings of Italian cheese.
  • Enjoy with lots of crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce.

Equipment

Tips and Notes

  • If you can’t get pearl or mini mozzarella balls then just rip up a larger ball.
  • If you don’t have a spiraliser then you could use a vegetable peeler and make courgette ribbons instead
  • Diabetes note – A no-carb count salad that is perfect on its own, as a side dish or simply served with lots of crusty bread.
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AUTHOR

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