This easy and healthy courgette salad with a vinegar and herb dressing is a very popular dish in the hot summers of southern Italy and would be great as a side dish for your barbeque or a refreshing and quick summer lunch (if and when summer arrives in the UK!)
Ingredients for 4 people
650g courgettes
1 small clove of garlic chopped
Handful of basil leaves
Handful of mint leaves
2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
Salt
Method
Wash the courgettes and slice into medium length pieces. Simmer for 5 minutes or so in salted, boiling water and then rinse in cold water, drain well.
Prepare the dressing with the chopped garlic, chopped basil and mint leaves, olive oil and vinegar.
Pour the dressing over the courgettes and add salt to taste.
Place in the fridge and serve cold.
Health benefits of courgettes
Courgettes are very low in calories with only 17 calories per 100g and are a good source of dietary fibre. They are rich in flavonoid poly-phenolic antioxidants such ascarotenes, lutein and zea-xanthin that help to clean the organism from harmful oxygen-derived free radicals. Furthermore, courgettes are a very good source of potassium and different vitamins like A, B, C and contain moderate levels of B-complex group of vitamins like thiamin, pyridoxine, riboflavin and minerals like iron, manganese, phosphorus, and zinc.
Buon Appetito!