Zucchini Noodles (and coconut soup!)

Are you up to you ears in zucchini right now? Seriously, if you’ve ever grown zucchini you know that one plant is more than you need. They are the gift that keeps on giving.

There are a plethora of creative ways that you can use zucchini, but one of my all time, super-healthy ones is the humble zucchini noodle. Zucchini noodle you say? Like making any pasta, that must take a lot of work? Well, no actually, it doesn’t.

I am talking a zucchini, a potato peeler and you. Raw zucchini noodles are a super healthy and fun alternative to grain based noodles.

Materials:

• 1 large zucchini
• A potato peeler, or food grater, or spiralizer, or knife

Directions:

1. Peel zucchini if skin is tough.
2. Using your peeler, shave the zucchini into ‘noodles’. Alternatively you can grate it, spiralize it, or use a knife to julienne. Check out all these different styles of zucchini noodles.

Ok, you are probably thinking this is pretty boring, and well it is until you add the sauce (isn’t all pasta boring without sauce?). Here are just some of the ways that you can use zucchini noodles:

• Top with pesto, tomato sauce, or an avocado based sauce.
• Use in place of pasta for a delicious pasta salad
• Toss with pan-fried tofu and veggies.
• Substitute it for rice noodles in your favourite pad-Thai recipe.

Let your imagination be your guide!

And if you don’t want to be imaginative, here is one of my favourite zucchini noodle summer recipes (try not to die, this is crazy yummy!):

Zucchini Noodle Coconut Soup

Coconut broth ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 small onion
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 cup of coconut milk
• 1 approx. 4-inch piece of lemongrass, left whole
• pinch of sugar
• splash of soy sauce
• juice of 1 lime
• salt & pepper

Rest of ingredients:

• 3 zucchinis, noodled or julienned
• 1 bunch greens (spinach, swiss chard), chopped
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• handful of basil leaves
• Juice of 1 lime
• handful of crushed peanuts or cashews (optional)
• hot sauce or sriracha (optional)
• handful of cilantro leaves (optional)
• firm or soft tofu (optional)
• Wedges of lime for serving (optional)

Directions:

1. In a sauce pan heat oil over low heat. Add onion, grated ginger.
   Saute until onions turn translucent.
2. Add the coconut milk, soy sauce, the lemongrass piece (whole, you’ll remove it later), and optional tofu. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally for about 20 mins.
3. While the sauce is cooking prep the zucchini noodles and set aside.
4. After 20 minutes add lime juice, a pinch of sugar,and  diced tomatoes to the pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes.
5. Add greens and basil to the pan. Stir them in until just wilted. Turn heat off and remove the lemongrass piece.
6. Add zucchini noodles and serve into bowls immediately (you don’t want the zucchini noodles to cook).
7. Top bowls with cilantro, crushed peanuts, and serve with hot sauce or sriracha and a wedge of lime.

Hopefully you can now appreciate and make use of the boatloads of zucchini. We all know there is only so much zucchini bread one can eat.