Tahini Zucchini Noodles
 
 
Author:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 2 cups kale, chopped
  • 2 medium zucchinis, spiralized or julienned*
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • Lemon, for squeezing
  • Sea salt and fresh black pepper
  • 1 cup cubed tofu (optional)
For the tahini sauce: (this makes extra)
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 5 tablespoons tahini
  • 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • ½ garlic clove, minced
  • 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey
  • 3 teaspoons soy sauce or gluten free tamari
  • ½ teaspoon dried turmeric
  • ¼ – ½ cup water, start with less, gradually add more
  • Sea salt and fresh black pepper
For garnish:
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
  • ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
  • Pinches red chili flakes
  • ¼ cup micro arugula sprouts (optional)
Instructions
  1. If using the tofu, preheat the oven to 400. Spread the tofu on a lined baking sheet and toss with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and fresh black pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
  2. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the kale, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon. Cook for a few minutes, until the kale is wilted. Set aside.
  3. Make the sauce: In a blender, combine the olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, nutritional yeast, maple syrup, soy sauce, turmeric, and salt and pepper. Blend until smooth, stirring in water as needed to reach your desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings, keeping in mind that (especially if you’re using zucchini noodles) the flavors will dilute. I found the best way to taste accurately was to dip a few noodles in the sauce.
  4. Toss the zucchini, kale, and baked tofu with the sauce, using more or less depending on how well-coated you like your veggies. Top with the basil, pine nuts, chili flakes, and microgreens, if using. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
*You could also use any kind of noodles you wish: rice noodles, regular pasta, etc. I served this at room temperature because the zucchini noodles are best raw. You could just as easily serve this warm if you use rice or pasta noodles.
Recipe by Love and Lemons at https://www.loveandlemons.com/tahini-zucchini-pasta/