This Greek Zoodle Salad with Roasted Garlic Tahini Sauce is fresh, flavorful, and so healthy! Zucchini stands in for pasta in this paleo and vegan take on a summertime favorite: pasta salad! This recipe is simple to prepare and is incredibly delicious!
ZOODLES.
By far, one of the things I look forward to most as summer approaches.
I’m sure I know what you’re thinking:
They’re so last year.
They’re overdone.
Like Avocado Toast, they’re just a trend.
My response:
- So were crop tops, overalls, and high tops. And here we are.
- Sure, I’ll give you that. Doesn’t change that fact that they’re amazing.
- LOSE MY NUMBER (jk I love you ok but come on).
Zoodles are here to stay friends! They’re such a great replacement for pasta. Whether you’re gluten free, paleo, or simply trying to eat more plant-based meals, turning any vegetable in to a “noodle” is pure genius.
A few ways I love to enjoy them:
- Stir-fried with sesame oil, sesame seeds, and topped with copious amounts of sriracha.
- Blanched and topped with a fresh tomato marinara.
- Chicken Zoodle Soup. ‘Nuff said.
- In a glorious “pasta salad” packed with bright herbs, juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, salty kalamatas……
BOOM. This salad you, you guys. THIS SALAD!
I’m begging you to try it. I sincerely hope that won’t be necessary, and you’re already making your grocery list now (or perhaps you have everything in your pantry, you clever, healthy thing!).
I almost couldn’t believe how flavorful this salad was the first time I tried it. It has so much going on, but in the best way possible.
One very critical rule to follow:
ADD ALL THE HERBS. I use mint (necessary), parsley (also pretty necessary), and dill (very necessary in my book, but you’re the boss). The recipe calls out the amounts I think you’ll find delicious, but I’ll let you in on a little secret: I at least doubled these amounts.
To make things EVEN BETTER (I know, I’m really outdoing myself here), this recipe is VEGAN and PALEO.
Your summer bod is already thanking me. You’re welcome.
If you’re not vegan, no problemo.
Add that grilled chicken.
Enjoy with that pita.
Spoon (or dump?) that feta on top.
You do you. I’m just here for the zoodles.
Greek Zoodle Salad with Roasted Garlic Tahini Sauce
Ingredients
For the Greek Zoodle Salad:
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard (optional)
- 1 Garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/8 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/8 tsp onion powder
- Pinch of salt
- Few dashes aminos
- 2 medium zucchini
- 1 cup garbanzo beans soaked (see note)
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumber, sliced in half
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
- 2 Tbsp Fresh mint, chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 2 tsp fresh dill chopped
For the roasted garlic tahini sauce:
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 4 Tbsp water (See note)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil (See note)
- 1 clove roasted garlic (See note)
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/8 tsp chili powder more or less as desired
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
For the Greek Zoodle Salad:
- In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon (if using), garlic, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and aminos. This will be the bowl you're mixing everything in, so you'll have one less bowl to clean by mixing it right in here! Whisk vigorously until thoroughly combined. Taste, adjust seasoning if needed.
- Spiralize the zucchini to make your noodles. See notes below for a few suggestions of my favorite spiralizers!
- Add your zoodles, garbanzos, sliced and halved cucumber, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, mint, parsley, and dill to bowl. Toss to combine.
For the roasted garlic tahini sauce:
- In a small food processor or blender, add tahini, lemon juice, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Start out by adding 2 tablespoons of water and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. See note below regarding the amount of water and olive oil to use.
- Blend until thoroughly combined, and of desired consistency.
To Serve:
- Garnish with extra herbs and lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Notes
- To soak the garbanzo beans:
- Add 1 cup dried garbanzo beans to a bowl or mason jar. Ensure there is enough space for the beans to expand!
- Cover completely with water.
- Cover and allow to soak in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
- For the Roasted Garlic Tahini Sauce:
- Slowly add water and olive oil until desired consistency is reached. I wanted mine to drizzle really well, so I ended up adding 4 tablespoons of water. The olive oil helped here too, but was primarily added for flavor. Adjust to your liking!
- To make the Roasted Garlic:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Slice about 1/4 inch off the top of a head of garlic. Place on piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Wrap head of garlic with foil, bake for 35 minutes, until fragrant and cloves are soft.
- Reserve in refrigerator for other uses (dressings, garlic bread, marinades, roasts, etc.).
- If not vegan:
- Feta, pita, and grilled chicken would make delicious additions!