This is a freaky little salad that I absolutely love. It’s got all sorts zing and punch to it. Incredibly easy to make, it’s perfect for serving at a dinner party to wow your guests (and show them just how quirky you are). I first made this when I was crash-dieting in uni and I had leftover mint from making mojitos.

Adapt. Overcome. Improvise.

It’s certainly a salad more suited to the summertime, but it’s great to eat in the wintertime too if you get a bit sick of the starch and stodge that tends to accompany the dark nights.

My personal favourite to serve it with is fried halloumi. Mmmmmm.

Ingredients

Courgette

Small bunch mint

Fresh lemon

Garlic

Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Method

Trim the ends of the courgette so the top and bottom are flat. Then, using a mandolin or potato peeler, slice and discard the first outside layer on one side of the courgette.

Again using the mandolin or potato peeler, slowly slice down the courgette length ways to make strips

Once you have the desired amount of courgette strips, at them to a dry and hot griddle pan and cook for a minute or two eachside, or until they gain some colour. They should wrinkle up a little bit and lose about half of their moisture. Personally I like to make them quite crispy, but it’s up to you how long you want to cook them for and what texture you want the end product to be like.

Once you’ve got the courgette strips how you like, lay them out on a baking tray/large plate,making sure they don’t overlap. Top with salt and pepper.

In a separate bowl, mix together the olive oil, minced garlic, and some lemon zest. I’m not going to give you exact measurements because it really depends on how much courgette you have grilled and your preferences. All I can say is, don’t over-do it with the oil. Less is more in this case and you want the flavour to come through from the other ingredients.

Drizzle the oil mix over the courgettes using a spoon and mix slightly using your hands or tongs. Try and bunch your courgettes to the middle of your serving plate so that it gains some height.

Lastly, squeeze over some lemon juice and roughly shredded mint leaves. It’s now ready to serve!

This is budget friendly, low cal, and incredibly refreshing. Enjoy! (And let me know if you have any other flavour combo’s that would go well with a courgette based salad, please and thanks!)