Oh man, have I got a treat for you. Ever since finding this recipe in Bon Appetit June 2011 issue, I have been wanting to make it. Once I did FINALLY get around to it this month, I slapped myself on the forehead for not having made it earlier. You will love this salad.
PLUS – you can keep the bounty of squash growing in your garden to use it in this salad instead of trying to pawn it off on leery neighbors who have started avoiding you at the mailbox.
I have made this salad every week now with different cheeses and nuts – its good each way I’ve had it. Give it a try!
Table of Contents
Skinny Summer Squash Salad Recipe
I can't help but be drawn to the flavor combination of Pecorino Romano cheese and raw, thinly shaved vegetables. This method can be used on a variety of vegetables, including summer squash, fennel, asparagus, and fava beans that have been briefly blanched.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp roasted and crushed almonds you can also use walnuts or pine nuts
- 1 lb summer squash
- 2.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- a few handfuls baby arugula
- a few handfuls baby spinach or red leaf lettuce
- to shave over Pecorino romano cheese
- to taste black pepper
Instructions
- Trim the ends off of your freshly washed squash. Shave with a vegetable peeler into long strips until you get to the core with the seeds – discard the core. Keep the skin – it's great! You can even add some shaved zucchini as well if you have it. It works just as nicely.
- Put squash shavings in a bowl, add arugula, and spinach and toss with nuts and pecorino cheese shavings.
Dressing
- whisk lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and salt, and pepper and pour over salad.
This salad was excellent. It was still delicious even if I had to swap out the white balsamic vinegar for rice wine vinegar and the cherry for dried cranberries.
This is something I’ve made a few times, and it’s great.