Zucchini Noodles with Lemon and Dill

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Today I’m sharing another recipe from my book, “The Raw Food Solution“. Many of you have requested fast and simple recipes and this meal is an example of just how easy and delicious raw foods can be.

I first created this recipe while I was undertaking a detox diet, but since then I have continued to enjoy it on a regular basis because it is so quick to prepare, as well as being light and nourishing.

I recommend using the Spiral Vegetable Slicer with the widest setting to create thick noodles. If you don’t yet own one of these you can make the noodles either with a vegetable peeler or by slicing them thinly with a knife into your desired shape, but be aware that this will take you much longer.

The spiralizer makes really quick work of the noodles and I recommend getting yourself one. Although I don’t use mine all that often – maybe once or twice a week –  I really appreciate how quick and easy this piece of equipment makes it to prepare noodles out of vegetables like zucchini, squash, and cucumber. I also use it in place of a vegetable grater for preparing veggies such as carrots and beets for garden salads.

The secret to creating a soft and silky texture with the zucchini noodles is to marinate them with lemon juice before adding the other ingredients. This takes away their crunch and releases some of the moisture to produce a more appealing mouthfeel that is reminiscent of traditional noodles.

Shallots are included in this recipe and I prefer their flavor, which is more subtle and complex than regular onions, but if you can’t find them you can substitute red or white onion.

Zucchini Noodles with Lemon and Dill

Serves 1

1 large zucchini, peeled
1 medium tomato, diced
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped finely
1 tablespoon shallots, chopped finely
1/2- 1 avocado, mashed
Himalayan salt to taste
1 tablespoon capers (optional)

Prepare the zucchini as wide ribbon noodles with a spiralizer or mandoline. (If this is unavailable you can use a regular vegetable peeler but it will take much longer).

Toss the zucchini noodles with lemon juice and a little salt. Allow to sit while you prepare the other ingredients, then drain to remove the excess moisture.

Add chopped tomato, dill and shallots and toss with the noodles. Then add mashed avocado and optional capers and mix to combine well. Serve immediately.

The noodles are delicious served alone or stuffed inside large romaine lettuce leaves for a quick and satisfying meal. You can play around with different fresh herbs in place of the dill, if you prefer,  such as cilantro, basil, or parsley. And in a pinch you could substitute dried dill, in which case you would use only a tablespoon or so because dried herbs tend to be stronger than fresh ones.

While I love all of those delicious gourmet raw meals I find they can take a lot of time and energy to prepare and can sometimes be a little difficult to digest. So I appreciate recipes like this, which are more interesting than a smoothie or plain salad while being quick to make as well as satisfying.