Middle Eastern Salad with Zucchini Flowers and Labneh

Middle Eastern Salad on a patterned plate with a bowl of Dukkah and a bottle of oil on the side.

5 from 1 vote

Middle Eastern Salad with Zucchini Flowers and Labneh

This middle eastern salad has a profusion of flavours and textures, a great standalone meal or perfect to serve as an elegant side at your next dinner party.

Prep Time25

Cook Time20

Total Time45

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Keyword: Advanced

Difficulty: Capable Cooks

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian,

Servings: as a side

Calories: 433kcal

Author: Anastasia Papapetros

Equipment

Y-Peeler
Deep fryer or deep frypan

Ingredients

For the salad…

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

For the zucchini flowers…

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

Metric - Imperial

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 peeler
6 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.

Nutrition