Zucchini & Tahini Salad

Cook Eat WorldMiddle EasternZucchini & Tahini Salad
By Published On: August 17th, 2020

What can I say about this Zucchini & Tahini Salad? What adjectives can I draw upon that I haven’t used a million times before? I’m afraid, I’m going to use the most overused of them all… DELICIOUS. This time I REALLY really mean it!

Zucchini & Tahini Salad

I say delicious all the time. I say EVERYTHING is my favourite. In the moment I'm sincere and truly find everything tasty! On this occasion I am super super serious! This little Palestinian Zucchini & Tahini salad/dip is out of this world splendiferous!

It never ceases to amaze me when simple dishes turn out to be so tasty. It's like HOW DID I NOT ALREADY KNOW ABOUT THIS! Why have the Palestinians been keeping this secret all this time?!

Zucchini isn't really an ingredient I cook with a lot, not that I don't like it, but more I'm never really sure what to do with it. When I stumbled on this dish in a local generic 'middle eastern' restaurant a few weeks ago (my first COVID-19 era restaurant visit I may add) I could have burnt my mask with joy! Needless to say I didn't, but this salad stuck and I thought about it daily until I decided to create my own version.

A secret to a successful zucchini & tahini salad

The zucchini & tahini recipe is super simple. There are not many stages to creating this lovely dish. There are two keys to success.

  1. Frying the zucchini to not only reduce some of the moisture, which helps with the texture later, but also to add a little caramelisation (i.e. flavour).
  2. Tahini. I'm a huge fan - sesame is one of my most loved flavours. It's a bit magical isn't it?!

This salad/dip is rich, but not heavy - it's creamy, tart and nutty. A wonderful aromatic combination of yoghurt, tahini and the earthy, sweet zucchini. The dried mint brings a unique mellow mint flavour (use dried, not fresh - for once, dried is better!). To tip the taste over the edge, I liberally drizzled a little super-sour pomegranate molasses over the salad for serving which, let me tell you, was a very welcome addition.

Zucchini & Tahini Salad

Meze plates - the perfect way to eat

In Palestine, like most of the Middle East, dishes are served meze style. An often vast array of small offerings - delight after delight for arms to weave, scoop and dip amongst. The zucchini & tahini dip is a perfect contender to be served this way. By all means, serve it on its own with bread, vegetables or chips to dip but in order to fully appreciate its wonder - serve it alongside likeminded dishes (see below for some suggestions).

When I'm put in front of a meze table I am never happier. I normally have to be carried from the table as I wildly grab at anything left on my exit.

What to serve with zucchini & tahini salad

If you're in the mood to create a meze selection that includes this delicious zucchini dip I have some suggestions from all across the region. I love to eat this way so, here are a few of my favourites. Everything on the list can be served together - all the flavours work magnificently with each other.

This recipe is also one of my Best Dips in the Cook Eat World - go find out which others are on the list

How to make my Zucchini & Tahini Salad

Zucchini & Tahini Salad

Zucchini & Tahini Salad

Rate this recipe

5 from 2 votes
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Recipe by Lee
Course Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine Israeli, Middle Eastern, Palestinian
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time7 minutes
Cooling time10 minutes
Total Time32 minutes
Servings (adjustable) 4
Calories (per serving) | 255

Video Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a moderate heat until hot. Add the diced zuccini and fry for 5-7 minutes until golden with some caramelisation. Remove from the heat.
  • Tip the zucchini into a sieve over a bowl. This will drain the oil and any excess moisture. Let the zucchini cool completely.
  • Add the zucchini to a bowl and using a fork roughly mash. Not completely smooth, more rustic.
  • Add the tahini, yoghurt, garlic, mint and lemon juice and stir. Pour over the extra virgin olive oil and season with a little salt & pepper. Mix well.
  • Decant to a serving bowl or platter and drizzle over a little more extra virgin olive oil, a little more dried mint and a drizzle of the pomegranate molasses.
  • Serve at room temperature with flatbreads, pita, chips or raw vegetables to dip.

Nutrition

Calories: 255kcal (13%) | Carbohydrates: 13g (4%) | Protein: 5g (10%) | Fat: 22g (34%) | Saturated Fat: 3g (19%) | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 21mg (1%) | Potassium: 455mg (13%) | Fiber: 3g (13%) | Sugar: 7g (8%) | Vitamin A: 294IU (6%) | Vitamin C: 41mg (50%) | Calcium: 54mg (5%) | Iron: 1mg (6%)
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Zucchini & Tahini Salad

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