Portions
Serves
Preparation Time
15-20 minutes
Ingredients
- courgettes (we like a mix of yellow and green, if you can get them)
- Zest and juice of lemon
- - garlic clove, crushed (depending on how much of a garlic fan you are)
- tablespoons olive oil
- tablespoon balsamic vinegar or good-quality sherry/red wine vinegar
- g-g (oz-oz) jarred Queen Butter Beans, drained
- Large bunch of basil (about g/oz), torn
- Small bunch of mint leaves (about g/oz), roughly chopped
- g (oz) rocket, or watercress and rocket salad mix
- g (oz) vegetarian hard cheese or Parmesan, shaved
- g (oz) toasted nuts of your choice (we love pine nuts, walnuts or hazelnuts)
- Sea salt
Method
- Trim the ends off the courgettes, then use a flat vegetable peeler to peel them lengthways into ribbons (a mandoline could also be used here, if you have one). Continue to peel until you reach the core of the courgettes. You may find this leaves a lot of courgette remaining, so see our Tip below for how to use this.
- Place the courgette ribbons in a colander over a bowl. Season with salt and allow to stand for 2-3 minutes to draw out the excess water.
- In a small mixing bowl, mix together the lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and vinegar. (Cut down on the balsamic if you don’t like it too sharp, or add more lemon juice instead.)
- Tip the courgette ribbons into a large serving bowl or platter and scatter over the lemon zest. Add the butter beans to the bowl, followed by the basil, mint, and rocket and toss everything together.
- Drizzle over the dressing and toss thoroughly to coat.
- Finish by sprinkling over the cheese and toasted nuts, then serve.
Tip
- Chop the courgette core left after making the ribbons and sauté over a medium heat in olive oil. Toss into the salad at the end for extra flavour.