I didn’t plan to share this courgette strip salad this week, but all of a sudden we lost electricity this week so it suddenly became the perfect recipe!

We live in an old villa and despite it being rewired, the electricity started going on the blink a few months ago. Usually after some down time everything eventually turns back on, and because we can’t find any obvious fault we put it down to being an old villa.

This morning, however, Nick turned the heating on and within seconds everything blew! Luckily we still had hot water, but unlike previous times, we couldn’t get much else to work like the toaster or kettle. So Nick went to work without breakfast and left me to slowly switch everything back on. But this time, I had no luck.

So while we wait for an electrician, our kitchen remains without power and we now have a good excuse to eat out!

Which brings me to this week’s recipe. This salad is very minimalistic yet not lacking in flavour whatsoever! Like most salads you don’t need any electricty to make it, with the exception of the almond dukkah which can be made ahead of time.

This salad is fresh, vibrant, and full of green goodness. There’s a decent serving of healthy fats and protein from the avocado, nuts and seeds, and best of all it can be whipped up minutes. I’ve paired it with a turmeric vinaigrette but if that sounds too complicated, then a simple combination of fresh lemon juice and tahini shaken in a jar also works amazingly.

The almond dukkah recipe below will make much more than you need for this salad, but it’s so delicious and versatile you’ll find yourself sprinkling it on everything you can find!

I hope you enjoy this minimalist salad and if you make it, be sure to come back and let me know what you think! Enjoy.

Courgette Strip Salad with Avocado, Kale and Almond Dukkah

Serves: 4
Prep time: 30 minutes  

4 courgettes
2 large handfuls baby spinach or baby kale leaves
1 ripe avocado

Turmeric Vinaigrette Dressing:
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice (approximately 1 lemon)
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 small red chilli, finely chopped
2cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated
pinch of pink Himalayan salt
freshly ground black pepper

Almond Dukkah:
1 cup almonds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp black sesame seeds
1 Tbsp white sesame seeds
1 Tbsp fennel seeds
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt

To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a jar and shake, or in a food processor and blend until combined. Store any leftover in the fridge.

To make the dukkah, place the almonds into a 160ºC oven and bake until they just start to change colour, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and roughly chop. Meanwhile, place the seeds in a dry fry pan over medium heat and shake around the pan until you begin to smell the spices, this should only take a minute or two. Remove the seeds from the pan and combine with the salt and chopped almonds. Store in an airtight jar at room temperature.

To prepare the salad, wash the courgette well and cut off the ends. Use a vegetable peeler to peel long strips, turning the courgette every so often until you have no more green left. Wash and drain the baby spinach of kale leaves and prepare the avocado by removing the stone and cutting into slices.

To assemble the salad, toss the courgette and spinach or kale leaves into a mixing bowl and combine with 1/2 cup of dressing and 3/4 cup of dukkah. Toss to combine. Place a portion into a serving bowl and top with avocado slices and another sprinkling of dukkah.

Once assembled, this courgette salad will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container.
 

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