Courgette Ribbon Salad

Courgette Ribbon Salad

This courgette salad makes a fantastic side dish. Serve alongside a juicy steak or grilled fish, perhaps as an addition to a tapas style meal. You can cook the courgette on a barbeque in summer months.

Ingredients:

For the dressing

• 80ml extra virgin olive oil
• Juice from ½ lemon
• ½ – 1 red chilli, de-seeded & finely chopped
• Handful fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
• Handful fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• ½ tsp sea salt flakes
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper

For the salad:

• 4 large courgettes, washed
• Olive oil for cooking
• Small handful pine nuts, toasted

Method:

1. For the dressing, combine ingredients in a small bowl or jug, stir well then set aside. (You can also use chilli flakes if you prefer, ¼- ½ tsp to taste).
2. For the salad, cut the stalks off each courgette. Using a large knife or kitchen mandolin, slice courgettes thinly lengthways (about 3-5mm thick).
3. Heat a griddle pan over medium high heat. Brush enough courgette slices with olive oil to fit the pan, then cook slices for 2-4 minutes on either side until courgette is tender. Place cooked courgette aside on a plate and repeat the above until all the courgette has been cooked in batches. (If you don’t have a griddle pan, you can use a regular pan, you just won’t get the same grill marks. Alternatively, you can cook the courgette under a hot grill in the oven or on a barbeque.)
4. Haphazardly arrange courgette slices on a serving dish then scatter with toasted pine nuts. Give the dressing a quick stir then pour over the courgette salad. Serve and enjoy.