What's not to love about summer when you can have Pesto Zoodles & Tomato Salad made with raw zucchini noodles? In the summer, you can easily access locally picked organic and seasonal zucchini, corn, cucumbers, and tomatoes. You can almost always find these vegetables in your local supermarket, but the freshest produce is purchased at your local farmers' market or from a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). You are guaranteed it was picked at the ripest point and often within hours of being in your hands.
Vegetables are great as a side dish or as the main meal. Some of my best recipes are made with vegetables cooked on the grill, roasted, sautéed, or added to soups. Changing the cut and shape of the vegetable can create another use for vegetables in a recipe. With the use of kitchen gadgets, there's no stopping your flow of creativity. A spiralizer is one of those gadgets you can have fun with and use to create zucchini noodles or zoodles for this vegan pesto zoodles recipe. Instead of a typical Italian pasta meal, you can have Pesto Zoodles with Tomato Salad. Raw zucchini noodles are especially refreshing on a hot summer day because it can be served cold. Pesto Zoodles & Tomato Salad takes only 15 minutes using a spiralizer!
Various gadgets exist to create zucchini noodles, but I went for the Veggie Bullet pictured below. It is easy to use and makes perfect spirals. The downside is storage & cleaning - it takes up a lot of space with all of the attachments, and cleaning can be time-consuming after using them.
How do you make pesto zoodles or zucchini noodles?
Making this meal is easy once you set up your equipment - Veggie Bullet and Food Processor. Just send the zucchini through the spiralizer to make raw zucchini noodles. Then, blend the pesto ingredients in a food processor. Mix both in a bowl, and you're ready to eat Pesto Zoodles & Tomato Salad. Note: You can add beans to the salad for some extra protein!
What does the carbon footprint mean?
The carbon footprint of this recipe is 356.0 gCO2e per serving (12.0% of fair daily food emissions). That’s a low carbon footprint for such a nutritious and delicious meal! That sounds great, right, but what does it mean? A carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, produced by our daily activities and lifestyle choices. Things like how you heat your house, your mode of transportation to work, and even the food you put into your body all contribute to your carbon footprint. That's why it’s more important than ever to be mindful of your food choices and eat sustainably. For more ideas on how to make the transition, check out our post HERE!
If you made this recipe, please leave a star 🌟 rating on the recipe card right below! You can also drop a review in the comment section. Your feedback is appreciated! And don’t forget to tag @themindfulfork so we can see your creations.
Pesto Zoodles & Tomato Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large zucchini
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 cup fresh basil
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 1 tablespoon pine nuts
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons parmigiano reggiano or vegan alternative
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- Zoodles: Prepare with a Veggie Bullet or a mixer with a spiralizer attachment.
- Pesto: Blend garlic, basil, pine nuts, salt, cheese, olive oil in a food processor.
- Clean & halve cherry tomatoes.
- Place zoodles & tomatoes in a bowl and gently stir in pesto. Top with 1 tablespoon pine nuts and serve!
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