From bread to butter to fritters (um heck yes), zoodles, and more, zucchini is pretty much everywhere these days. Right now, however, my favorite way to enjoy this ubiquitous summer squash is grilled. Tossed with olive oil, lemon, chickpeas, fresh dill, and toasted pine nuts, it makes for an easy and refreshing, thoroughly summery dish. Enjoy as a side, or make it a full meal by adding some grains and/or crusty bread. We had it over sorghum, topped with tomatoes, Cholula, and more extra-virgin olive oil– a combination I highly recommend!
*If grilling on a regular grill, simply toss the zucchini slices with a little high heat friendly oil instead of spraying on the grill itself.
*To toast the pine nuts, heat in a dry skillet over medium heat for a couple of minutes, watching closely, just until lightly browned and fragrant.
1½ cups cooked /15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 lb zucchini, ends trimmed, halved if long, cut into thin strips (~1/8-1/4” thick)
cooking spray
½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from ~½ lemon)
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
1/3 cup dill, chopped, plus a few bigger pieces for garnish
sea salt and black pepper
- In a bowl, toss chickpeas with the red wine vinegar, minced garlic, and some salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate.
- Heat a grill pan over medium heat. When hot, spray with some cooking spray. Cook zucchini slices , about 3-4 minutes per side, adding more cooking spray as necessary.
- Toss grilled zucchini with chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, chopped dill, and toasted pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with extra dill fronds.
Yield: About 4 servings