SUMMER HARVEST ZOODLES

These Summer Harvest Zoodles are simple zucchini noodles covered in a creamy avocado sauce and topped with lots of summer veggies!

It’s that time of year where my zucchini plants are thriving and I practically can’t eat/ give the zucchinis away quick enough. Also, butternut squash. It’s my first year growing butternut squash and I’m going to have to get inventive to figure out what the heck to do with all of it. By the end of the summer, I predict that I’ll have harvested about 30-40 butternut squashes. Why I planted so much, I have NO idea. So, expect to see LOTS of yummy squash recipes in the coming weeks.

Today we’re keeping it simple with some classic zoodles. They’re smothered in a yummy avocado sauce and topped with some good ole’ summer veggies. The idea behind this recipe is to simply pile high the noodles with whatever veggies you have lying around, growing in your garden, or that you bought super cheap at the market because all the things are in season (my favorite time of year!).

I’ve been cooking my zucchini noodles very minimally lately. I used to cook them a bit too much so that they were a little mushy. These days, I’ve been enjoying my zoodles almost raw but cooked just enough so that they’re warmed through. Before, I think that I was trying to make the zoodles resemble actual spaghetti which, lets be honest, is never going to happen. So now, I’m embracing the crisp crunch of the zucchini noodles in all of their summer glory.

The avocado sauce is also pretty simple. It’s just an avocado, mayo, basil, and garlic (plus a little more). I’m a huge fan and basically want to put it on everything!

The toppings include raw corn (because I’m obsessed with corn right now), heirloom tomatoes that were given to be after a shoot that I did for Nashville Lifestlyes magazine, red onion, and some purple basil (which for the record, tastes exactly like regular basil…it’s just purple). Oh yea, and some crispy chickpeas that were a last minute addition.

Other good summer veggies toppings could include: bell pepper, green beans, any kind of squash, cucumber, eggplant chunks, okra, and so on. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE summer?? Why can’t it stay all year long?

If you want to up your carb intake, you can always mix all of this into a plate of pasta which is something that I do quite often. I’m a huge fan od zucchini noodles mixed in with regular noodles!

Happy Wednesday, friends!!

summer harvest zoodles

• cook time: 35 MINUTES
 
• yield: 2 SERVINGS 1X

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INGREDIENTS

• 1 15 ounce can of chickpeas
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
• sprinkle of salt and pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil
• 1 large or 2 small zucchinis
• 1/2 cup of corn (cooked or raw)
• basil (I used purple basil)
• 1/2 cup of chopped onion
• 1/2 cup of chopped tomato

FOR THE AVOCADO SAUCE:

• 1 avocado, skin and pit removed
• 1/2 cup of mayo (vegan mayo if vegan)
• handful of fresh basil
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon of lime juice
• water to thin (I ended up using about 1/4 cup but add it in gradually)

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare the chickpeas by rinsing them and then drying them off with a paper towel. I don’t bother removing the skins but you can if you want.
2. Place the chickpeas on a greased or lined baking sheet and toss them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, S&P, and the garlic and basil.
3. Bake the chickpeas for 25 minutes, stirring halfway. Once done, let cool slightly.
4. While the chickpeas roast, prepare the avocado sauce by combining all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blending until creamy and full combined.
5. Prepare the zucchini by spiralizing it and then cutting the strands into manageable pieces.
6. In a large skillet, combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the zucchini noodles. Over medium heat, toss the noodles so that they are evenly coated in the olive oil. Cook for 2-8 minutes depending on how done you want the noodles. I cook mine for about 4 minutes so that they’re heated all the way through but still have some good crunch to them.
7. Once done, take the noodles off of the heat and divide them between 2 plates. Top the noodles with the avocado sauce and toss until the sauce is evenly distributed on the noodles.
8. Top the noodles with the tomato, onion, basil, chickpeas, and corn (plus any other veggies you have).
9. ENJOY!!