Description
A refreshing and vibrant salad featuring spiralized zucchini noodles tossed with a homemade pesto, cherry tomatoes, and mozzarella balls.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 medium zucchinis, spiralized into noodles
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini), halved
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional, for extra brightness)
Instructions
- Make the Pesto: In a food processor, combine the basil leaves, toasted pine nuts, minced garlic, and grated Parmesan cheese. Pulse until finely chopped. Gradually drizzle in the olive oil while the processor is running until the mixture is smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Prepare the Zucchini Noodles: Using a spiralizer, create zucchini noodles from the zucchinis. If you don’t have a spiralizer, you can use a julienne peeler for a similar effect.
- Combine the Salad: In a large bowl, combine the zucchini noodles, halved cherry tomatoes, and mozzarella balls.
- Add the Pesto: Drizzle the homemade pesto over the zucchini noodle mixture and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly. If desired, add the lemon juice for an extra zing.
- Taste and Adjust: Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve: Transfer the salad to a serving dish or plates. Sprinkle with additional pine nuts and fresh basil for garnish, if desired.
- Enjoy Immediately: This salad is best enjoyed fresh but can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Notes
- For a nut-free version, omit the pine nuts or substitute with sunflower seeds.
- This salad can be customized with additional vegetables or proteins as desired.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 350mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 23g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 15mg