I’m sharing my 3 favorite zucchini noodles (aka zoodles) recipes: Miso and Soy Sauce Zoodles, Middle Eastern Zoodles and Pesto Zoodles that are sure to please any palate in your house!
Spiralizing vegetables, or making noodles out of vegetables, has been around for a while. And I’ve been playing with different ways of eating them in my house so I thought I would finally share my favorite 3 ways of eating spiralized zucchini, otherwise known as zucchini noodles or zoodles. It’s more fun to say zoodles and even more fun to make and eat them!
A year or two ago, I bit the bullet and bought the Kitchen Aid spiralizing attachment. I had toyed with getting a handheld spiralizer but I didn’t necessarily want another gadget in my drawers either. I am a bit of a kitchen gadget fanatic. And although they all bring me joy, I’ve been trying to simplify my house at the same time. So I thought I’d rather get something that can be used with my Kitchen Aid stand mixer, which doesn’t get near enough action anyway. I love it and has a number of blades so that I can spiralize just about any fruit or vegetable I want. My kids think it is great fun too.
Of course you don’t have to have a spiralizer in order to make zucchini noodles. If you have a mandolin or a julienne vegetable tool, those work as well. And these days, you can buy your zucchini noodles already prepared in the produce section of most supermarkets. That is actually what Lesley does -she buys her spiralized zucchini already prepared and ready to cook (or eat raw if that’s your thing).
Personally, I’m not into eating my zucchini raw. I prefer to sauté it as this gives it the best flavor and texture, in my opinion. And one thing I love about zucchini noodles is that you can flavor them any number of ways. Spiralized zucchini is a blank canvas, just waiting for combination with other flavorful ingredients. So here I’m sharing 3 of my favorite flavor combinations: Miso and Soy Sauce Zoodles, Middle Eastern Zoodles and Pesto Zoodles. Now these are super quick and easy to make as a side dish. Or the recipe can easily be doubled if you want to make it a main dish and pair it with your favorite protein source.
Zucchini Noodles 3 Ways
(click on the recipe name or picture below to go to the actual recipe)
Miso and Soy Sauce Zoodles
Who doesn’t love a good Asian twist on vegetables? Miso and soy sauce are the perfect base for an Asian-inspired zoodle dish that is quick to prepare. Miso paste is made from fermented soy beans and adds a depth of flavor to Asian dishes that is hard to beat. I prefer using white miso paste as it has a milder flavor than other types of miso. This was my children’s favorite of all the zoodle recipes. They’ll eat just about anything that has soy sauce in it.
Middle Eastern Zoodles
Have you ever had za’atar? It is possibly my new favorite spice. This versatile spice blend (also spelled zatar, zaa’tar, or zaatar) has a rich history and can be used on just about any food. I’d probably eat it off the bottom of my shoe. Okay, that may be taking it a bit far, but I LOVE this spice! It really kicks up the flavor of these zucchini noodles. And paired with another newly (to me) discovered spice, sumac, these zoodles are probably my favorite of the bunch. Sumac adds a bit of sourness to food, similar to using lemon or vinegar in dishes. It is also an ingredient in many za’atar blends as well. This sourness is well balanced in this particular dish with the sweet sun-dried tomatoes, tender chickpeas, salty Kalamata olives and feta cheese.
Pesto Zoodles
Zucchini noodles get an Italian spin by adding pesto sauce. Use homemade pesto sauce or buy it already prepared – no judgement from us! We like to add sliced grape tomatoes for that extra pop of color and flavor!
What are your favorite ways to eat zoodles?
