Zucchini Noodles with Kale Chimichurri and Toasted Walnuts
Serves 4
This week the hospital garden was flush with kale for the garden giveaway and I was feeling, truthfully, a bit ho-hum at the prospect of demo’ing another saute or raw salad. Suddenly chimichurri flew in to my head. Chimichurri is a fresh herb based, vinegary, spicy, Argentinian green sauce that is typically served with meat. In this version kale stands in for the herbs; and gets tossed with spiraled zucchini noodles and toasted walnuts. The class loved it! However don’t let the veggie forward use here dissuade you – this sauce is also delicious spooned over flank steak, burgers, chicken, roasted potatoes, and yes…eggs.
- 1 medium bunch kale, ends trimmed then roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- 3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
- 6 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 zucchini, spiraled or shaved into ribbons
- ¼ cup toasted walnuts
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add kale and blanch for about 1 minute. Drain over a strainer then rinse with cold water to cool. Using your hands squeeze the kale to remove as much water as possible. When it’s wrung dry, either chop kale very finely and put it in a bowl, or transfer it to the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the pressed garlic, vinegar, salt, black pepper, red chili flakes, and olive oil; tossing [or processing] until well combined. Set sauce aside to allow the flavors to mingle.
Prepare zucchini and walnuts as directed. Add the zucchini to the bowl with the chimichurri sauce and toss until well coated. Taste to see if vegetables could use another splash of vinegar or pinch of salt. Add the walnuts and toss again. Serve right away.
Catherine McConkie 2016, all rights reserved
Chef C’s cooking tips:
- For delicious variations; add either ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, or mint or 2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano to the kale at the point when adding the garlic and remaining ingredients.
- Wait until you are ready to serve before combining chimichuuri with zucchini. Otherwise the zucchini will begin to release its water and dim down the sauce’s assertiveness.
- To bank flavor and nutrition for the future, don’t throw away the kale cooking water. It will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days or freezer for 6 months. Use it to make soups or for cooking grains.
