Portions: 6 porciones Calories: 196kcal |
Did you ever wonder what you can do with zucchini flowers? Yes, they are edible and can be cooked in many ways. I invite you to try this chickpea and zucchini blossom salad, and check the easiest way to serve this beautiful garden vegetable.
By - Last revised . Published Apr 30, 2013.
Why I ā¤ļø it Recipe Ingredients Preparation
Chickpea salad with zucchini flowers.
Why I ā¤ļø it
I loved this chickpea and zucchini blossom salad. You know what I love the most about it? I grew almost everything that went into it. Nothing tastes as good as freshly-picked vegetables that you grow yourself.
But even if you don't have a garden, maybe you can find these at a grocery store or farmers markets, so if you're curious what to do with them, I will start with the simplest recipe you can do with zucchini flowers. It will be a wonderful addition to any meal.
Salad with zucchini flowers recipe
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Utensils and tools
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 cups of boiled or canned chickpeas (drained)
- 8 of small beets, quartered (or medium beets, diced)
- 8 small radishes, quartered
- 12 freshly-cut zucchini blossoms without stems
- 1 teaspoon salt, (or more, to taste)
- Ā¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly-cracked (or more, to taste)
- 2 cups of baby arugula
- 1 cup cherry tomato
- Ā¼ cup of balsamic vinegar
- ā cup shaved parmesan cheese, (optional)
Preparation
Before starting, please make sure you have all the ingredients and utensils ready.
Step 1: Rinse the vegetables
Rinse the vegetables and zucchini blossoms (inside and out) to get rid of any dirt, pat them dry with a paper towel.
Step 2: Cook the vegetables
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a pan or skillet. Add the chickpeas, beets, and radish. Cook and stir for 3 minutes, or until heated through.
Add the zucchini blossoms and pan fry on one side until it's slightly golden brown, flip and cook the other side.
Step 3: Seasoning
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
Step 4: Assemble
Arrange the arugula leaves on a bowl. Top with the cooked fried zucchini blossoms, chickpeas, beets, and radishes, then tomatoes.
Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar. Top with the shaved parmesan.
Variations
If you have some fresh mozzarella balls, crush them on top of the salad, it's wonderful with the balsamic vinegar flavor.
You can also use Italian squash blossoms instead of zucchini flowers.
Top tips
Generally, gardeners would only eat the male flowers of the zucchini plant, the female flowers are what mature into zucchini, so you only need a couple of male zucchini flowers per plant to pollinate the female ones.
Serving suggestions
You can serve this as a salad (great alongside pasta dishes), or as a side dish (I love it with a fried egg on top).
Nutritional information
Calories: 196kcal - Carbohydrates: 20g - Protein: 8g - Fat: 10g - Saturated Fat: 2g - Cholesterol: 4mg - Sodium: 500mg - Potassium: 319mg - Fiber: 5g - Sugar: 6g - Vitamin A: 445IU - Vitamin C: 10.9mg - Calcium: 115mg - Iron: 2.2mg
FAQs
Can you eat the flower of a zucchini?
Yes, zucchini flowers are edible. Typically the male flower is used for culinary purpose, as the plant only need a couple of male blossoms to fertilize the female flowers.
How do you eat zucchini flowers?
Zucchini flowers can be fried (usually you'd stuff them, batter them, then fried them in hot oil). They can also be pan-fried.
What are zucchini flowers good for?
Zucchini flowers can be made into an appetizer (like stuffed zucchini flower), or as a salad (pan-fried zucchini flowers).
Do zucchini flowers taste good?
Zucchini flowers have a mild taste, and can take the taste of the other ingredients they are cooked with.
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Chickpea Salad with Zucchini Blossom Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 cups of boiled or canned chickpeas drained
- 8 of small beets quartered (or medium beets, diced)
- 8 small radishes quartered
- 12 freshly-cut zucchini blossoms without stems
- 1 teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)
- Ā¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly-cracked (or more, to taste)
- 2 cups of baby arugula
- 1 cup cherry tomato
- Ā¼ cup of balsamic vinegar
- ā cup shaved parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
Step 1: Rinse the vegetables
- Rinse the vegetables andĀ zucchini blossomsĀ (inside and out) to get rid of any dirt, pat them dry with a paper towel.
Step 2: Cook the vegetables
- Heat theĀ olive oilĀ over medium heat in a pan or skillet. Add theĀ chickpeas,Ā beets, andĀ radish. Cook and stir for 3 minutes, or until heated through.Ā Add the zucchini blossoms and pan fry on one side until it's slightly golden brown, flip and cook the other side.
Step 3: Seasoning
- Season withĀ saltĀ andĀ pepperĀ to taste. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
Step 4: Assemble
- Arrange theĀ arugula leavesĀ on a bowl. Top with the cooked fried zucchini blossoms, chickpeas, beets, Ā and radishes, thenĀ tomatoes.Drizzle with theĀ balsamic vinegar. Top with the shavedĀ parmesan.
Nutrition
By , published Apr 30, 2013 on Tia Clara
Suzanne Perazzini
How beautiful this post is! Lovely colours, The squash blossom is so pretty.
MijĆŗ
Vaya ensalada buena.
La fotos muy bonitas.
Un saludito
Pacific Northwest
As always, great post! I know what you mean about the pleasures of growing your own food (or at least some of it). It is so rewarding to tend and harvest my veggies, herbs and fruits. Love your photos, too! Regards!