Inspiration can come from anywhere at any time. One evening I was watching Anthony Bourdain’s show, Parts Unknown, and he was highlighting the foods of Israel and Palestine. At one meal, he was served a raw zucchini salad with apricots. I have no idea what the other ingredients were in this dish, but I had a bunch of fresh apricots that needed eating. Roasting the apricots brings out their flavor and sweetness. A tangy apricot dressing over strips of zucchini sounded like a quick and delicious summer meal. Contributed by Ann Oliverio, from Crave, Eat, Heal: Plant-Based Whole Food Recipes to Satisfy Every Appetite* reprinted with permission © 2015 Front Table Books.
- 4 fresh apricots, pitted and roughly chopped
- 2 medium-sized zucchini, ends trimmed, cut into ribbons or 2-inch matchsticks
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 small clove garlic, peeled
- ¼ cup slivered almonds
- 3 to 4 dried apricots, minced
- Fresh mint, minced, optional
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Place the apricots in a small baking dish and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until soft. Set aside to cool.
- In a high-speed or regular blender, add the roasted apricots, white wine vinegar, mustard, and garlic and process until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
- Put the zucchini and dried apricots in a medium-sized bowl and add about half of the dressing. Toss to coat - adding more dressing, if desired.
- Divide the salad between 2 or 4 plates and sprinkle with slivered almonds and mint. Serve.
Variation
Shred the zucchini if you prefer — just make sure to squeeze out the water, otherwise the dressing will be diluted.
- Visit Annie Oliverio at An Unrefined Vegan.
- Here are more Super Savory Salads.
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