Strike a fresh note with this super summer salad. Chop a huge bunch of just-picked mint and toss it through raw, grated zucchini. Slightly soften carrot coins, sweeten them with a touch of honey, and add them for a burst of colour. Douse the lot with extra virgin, cider vinegar, and grind on the salt. Let it sit, even overnight – give the vegetables time to marinate. This summer salad really shouts out with flavour, so double or triple the quantity if you’re sharing with friends.
Fresh Zucchini, Mint and Carrot: A Gorgeous Summer Salad
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The only thing to do with mint is to pot it, and keep cutting off the growing tips so it grows bushy. The best thing to do with rambling zucchini plants is to forget about them for a few days, so that the next time you look you’ll be pleasantly surprised. When you’ve a big zucchini and a good handful of mint, get to and make this salad. It’s one of our new favourites. The mint – it’s so refreshing and clean. You’ll think a cup of densely packed leaves will be too much, overpowering, but trust me, it’s just right. And raw, grated zucchini is so good for a summer salad that I don’t know why I spent most of my life only eating it cooked. Don’t overcook the carrot – you want the discs to be slightly softened, but still very much al dente so they provide the wonderful contrasting crunch against the softness of the zucchini.
Make it, put it in the fridge, and then forget about it for several hours. Like any great marinate or salad dressing, the chemistry between the oil, acid, salt, sweet and aromatics needs time to brew.
Not that you need to make a dressing. This is done Italian style: just pour over the oil and vinegar, grind on the salt, give it a toss, all done. Too easy, no extra dishes to wash. Love that.
We love this served with seafood, of course, and with anything that comes off the barbecue. Last night we had it with duck. The duck was a tough old bird from a farmer. Despite two rounds in the Instant Pot under high pressure, the flesh – what little there was – had a hard time leaving the bone. It was good for stock, but little else. So, thankfully, our plates were lifted by generous portions of this cool summer salad, which was served on a bed of crisp green lettuce leaves. We polished off the salad. The duck went into the freezer for a future broth.
Looking for Summer Salads?
Moroccan Inspired Salad Cous Cous Salad with Carrot, Dates and Mint – This is great – I’ve even fooled cauliflower-haters with this one!
Octopus Salad with Lemon, Parsley and Thyme – Never cooked an octopus? Oh, it’s so easy, and so good, you must!
Carrot and Zucchini Fettuccine – Love this for when I want the pleasure of noodles, but can’t be bothered with the spiralizer.
This recipe has been shared on the AIP Recipe Roundtable.
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- 2 medium carrots, about 250 grams
- ½ teaspoon gross sea salt
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, divided
- 1 large zucchini, about 250 grams
- 1 cup firmly packed fresh mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt for grinding
- Peel the carrots and slice into coins. Place in a pan with ¼ cup water and the sea salt. Steam-sautè over a medium heat until all the water has evaporated, 4 - 5 minutes. While the carrots are still warm, drizzle over the honey and add 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Stir so that the carrot coins are coated, and then allow to cool.
- Grate the zucchini and place in a bowl. Separate the mint leaves from the stems and place the smallest leaves aside. Roughly mince the remaining leaves, add to the zucchini and toss well to combine.
- Pour the oil and the remaining apple cider vinegar over the zucchini and mint. Add a generous grinding of sea salt, the cooled carrots, and the small mint leaves. Mix well.
- Refrigerate until ready for serving.
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