Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 4 med zucchini spiralized, salted and allowed to “sweat” for an hour*, then squeezed with paper towel PLUS 1/2 tsp cooking fat to sauté
- 3 medjool dates pitted and softened if necessary by soaking in very hot water for 5 minutes
- 3 1/2 Tbsp unsweetened almond butter creamy
- 3 Tbsp coconut aminos
- 3 Tbsp pure sesame oil
- 3/4 tsp fresh grated ginger
- 1-2 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
To top the zucchini noodles:
- 3 scallions light green and white parts, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped raw almonds toasted in a skillet with 1/2 tsp sesame oil and sea salt to taste
Instructions
Prepare your zucchini noodles and allow the to “sweat”* while you make the sauce.
To make the sauce, add the softened dates to a food processor or high speed blender along with the almond butter and coconut aminos and pure until smooth. Once mostly smooth (you’ll see date pieces still) add the ginger, garlic, vinegar, sesame oil and garlic and pulse until smooth.
To cook the zucchini noodles, make sure they’re thoroughly drained of excess water, then lightly sauté for just a minute or two in 1/2 tsp cooking fat until heated and slightly softened. Avoid overcooking or you’ll have mushy noodles. For a cold dish, you don’t have to cook the zucchini noodles at all**
Toss the zucchini noodles with the prepared sauce plus the scallions and toasted almonds (see ingredients for toasting instructions) Serve warm, room temperature or even cold. You can add any protein you want for a more complete meal – chicken would be delicious! Serves 4-6.
Recipe Notes
*To “sweat” the zucchini noodles, place them in a colander over a large bowl and sprinkle with about 1/2 tsp salt. Allow them to sit this way for at least 40 minutes or up to an hour, then squeeze all the excess water out using paper towels. I typically eliminate about 1/2 cup of water using this method! This greatly helps the “watery zoodle” problem.
**It’s fine to simply sweat the noodles and avoid cooking them if you prefer
Original recipe credit: https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/sesame-zucchini-noodles-paleo-vegan-whole30/