This Middle Eastern Salad has a profusion of flavours and textures, a great standalone meal or ideal to serve as an elegant side at your next dinner party or as part of a mezze platter.
Middle Eastern Dukkah adds a ton of aromatic flavours to this textural salad - the crunch of the fried zucchini flowers, the crispness of zucchini ribbon and the creaminess of the labneh are a marvellous combination.
You Will Need
💡Top Tips
- Definitely use the rice flour in your batter as this is a key element for a crispy batter.
- Make sure your batter is ice cold, make it at least 20-30 minutes in advance and keep it chilled in your fridge.
- Make sure that you dust your flowers in rice flour before you coat them in the batter as this will ensure that the batter sticks.
- Season the zucchini ribbons with salt, toss let stand for 5-10 minutes, pat dry and strain well. This allows the excess water to drain off and allows the lemony flavours to be absorbed into the ribbons.
- You can make the zucchini ribbons and prepare the labneh first, fry your flowers, keep them separate, and add to the platter just before serving to stay crisp.
How to Make It With Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 - Start With the Batter
In a mixing bowl, add 1 cup of plain flour, 1 cup of rice flour, the sesame seeds and a pinch of salt.
Add enough cold beer to the flour, while whisking until the batter is the consistency of runny cream and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Step 2 - Make Your Salad
While your batter is chilling, wash the zucchini, cut off the tops and ends then cut into ribbons with a Y-peeler or vegetable peeler.
In a mixing bowl place, the zucchini ribbons season with some salt and let stand 5-10 minutes, then pat dry and discard the excess water. For a crunchy version you can omit this step.
Add the olive oil, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the pistachio Dukkah, season with salt and pepper, taste and adjust seasonings according to your liking.
Step 3 - Prepare the Zucchini Flowers
I take the opportunity to use up all the wilted and closed-up zucchini flowers that I have and fry them for this salad, and save the good ones for stuffing, but just use what you have.
Cut off the stems and spiny leaves then gently cut them open and remove the stamen/pistil but keep them in one piece.
Step 4 - Fry Your flowers
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed deep frypan until hot. You can test this by dropping in a drop of batter and if it sizzles immediately your oil is hot enough.
Sprinkle some rice flour into a shallow bowl and coat the zucchini flowers with the flour, then dip them into the batter until lightly coated, allowing the excess batter to drip-off.
Lower the zucchini flowers into the hot oil in batches. Fry until crisp and golden brown for approximately 3-4 minutes.
Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on a plate with a few layers of kitchen paper to absorb the oil. Repeat with all of the zucchini flowers.
Step 5 - Assemble Your Middle Eastern Salad
Smear the labneh on one side of a large platter and scatter one tablespoon of the Dukkah on top.
Arrange the zucchini ribbon salad on the other side of the platter but don't add the dressing, put it in a small jug to serve on the side instead.
Place the fried zucchini flowers in the middle, then scatter the remaining Dukkah on top of the salad.
Serve the salad immediately with the dressing in a small jug on the side.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
This incredibly tasty salad is perfect for a girly lunch or served as part of an elaborate buffet.
We served ours at a Middle Eastern-style buffet dinner, alongside some kofta, kebabs, pita
🤔Tips and Questions (FAQs)
1. What Is Labneh & Where Do I Find It?l
Labneh is a type of soft cheese made from strained yoghurt that has been part of Middle Eastern cuisines for thousands of years and is used as a good source of protein.
It is light and refreshing with a creamy texture, it is versatile and delicious and usually eaten as you would any mezze spread such as
You will find Labneh in the chiller section of your supermarket or at any Middle Eastern speciality store or it is so simple that you could try to make Labneh at home.
2. Can I Use Regular Yogurt Instead of Labneh for the Salad?
While labneh adds a distinct tanginess and creaminess to the salad, you can substitute it with Greek yogurt if labneh is not readily available.
For a thicker consistency similar to labneh, strain the Greek yogurt in a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer for a few hours in the refrigerator before using it.
3. What Can I Do With the Leftover Batter?
Don't throw your leftover batter away, I always use it the next day and make some zucchini fritters.
Add 2 eggs to your batter and whisk then add 2 cups of grated zucchini, ¼ cup crumbled feta, 1 tablespoon chopped soft herbs such as dill, mint or basil, season and mix everything together.
Then take tablespoons of the mix and fry them in hot oil until golden and crisp - just so scrumptious!
4. Adjustments for Vegans, Vegetarians and Gluten-Free Diets.
To make this Middle Eastern Salad vegan and vegetarian you would need to swap the labneh for a plant-based yoghurt and strain it for a thicker consistency as explained in question two on yoghurt.
For a gluten-free option, swap the flour for a gluten-free alternative like rice flour or chickpea flour to make the batter and coat the zucchini slices before frying. These flours will provide a similar crispy texture without containing gluten.
5. Can I Make the Salad in Advance for a Party or Gathering?
While the zucchini ribbons and labneh can be prepared in advance, it's best to fry the zucchini slices closer to serving time to retain their crispiness.
Assemble the salad just before serving for the freshest experience.
More Middle Eastern Salads to Try!
Recipe Card
Equipment
- Y-Peeler
- Deep fryer or deep frypan
Ingredients
- 6 small green zucchini (courgette) (approximately 350 grams / 12.35 ounces)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh
- 1 cup labneh (approximately 250 grams / 8.8 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons pistachio dukkah
- 16 zucchini (courgette, squash, pumpkin) flowers
- 1 can beer, very cold (375 ml / 12 fl oz can)
- 1 cup plain flour
- 1 cup rice flour, finely ground (plus more for dredging) (available from Coles or Woolworths or Walmarts)*
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- Sea Salt
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add 1 cup of plain flour, 1 cup of rice flour, sesame seeds and a pinch of salt.1 cup plain flour, 1 cup rice flour, finely ground (plus more for dredging), Sea Salt
- Add enough cold beer to the flour, while whisking until the batter is the consistency of runny cream and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.1 can beer, very cold
- Meanwhile, wash and trim your zucchini and cut into ribbons with a with a y-peeler or vegetable peeler6 small green zucchini (courgette)
- In a mixing bowl place, the zucchini ribbons season with some salt and let stand 5-10 minutes, then pat dry and discard the excess water. Omit this step you prefer it crunchy.
- Add the olive oil, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the pistachio dukkah, season with salt and pepper, taste and adjust seasonings according to your taste.4 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh
- Cut off the stems and spiny leaves from your flowers, then gently cut them open and remove the stamen/pistil but keep them in one piece.16 zucchini (courgette, squash, pumpkin) flowers
- Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed deep frypan until hot. You can test this by dropping in a drop of batter and if it sizzles immediately your oil is hot enough.Oil for frying
- Sprinkle some rice flour into a shallow bowl and coat the zucchini flowers with the flour, then dip them into the batter until lightly coated, allowing the excess batter to drip-off.1 cup rice flour, finely ground (plus more for dredging)
- Lower the zucchini flowers into the hot oil in batches. Fry until crisp and golden brown for approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on a plate with a few layers of kitchen paper to absorb the oil. Repeat with all of the zucchini flowers.
- Smear the labneh on one side of a large platter and scatter one tablespoon of the Dukkah on top.1 cup labneh, 2 tablespoons pistachio dukkah
- Arrange the zucchini ribbon salad on the other side of the platter but don't add the dressing, put it in a small jug to serve on the side instead.
- Place the fried zucchini flowers in the middle, then scatter the remaining Dukkah on top of the salad
- Serve the salad immediately with the dressing on the side.
Video
Notes
- If you are unable to find rice flour use 1 ½ cups plain flour and ½ cup cornflour. But the rice flour will make your batter nice and crispy.
- You will need some additional rice flour to coat the zucchini flowers before dipping into the batter.
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