Seven Easy Zucchini Recipes to Put On Repeat All Summer

Does my life need yet another zucchini recipe? YES! Yes, in fact, it does! Even though this squash cultivates joke after joke in the summer about its seemingly inexhaustible, high-volume production (lock the door and turn off the porch lights), I personally can’t get enough of this good-for-me and versatile staple of the season.

Fun & Interesting Facts About Zucchini:

  • What’s to love about zucchini? Here are some reasons to add more zucchini to your life (along with a few fun facts).
  • A medium zucchini (about 200g) has just 33 calories, 6g carbs (2 of which are dietary fiber), 0g fat and 2g protein which make it a good choice for low-carb, keto and diabetic diets.
  • Zucchini is a culinary chameleon. It’s mild flavor allows it to take on the flavor profile of the dish it’s cook in.
  • Zucchini is actually a fruit, botanically speaking. That is harvested while immature from the flowering part of a zucchini plant.
  • In addition to being a great source of dietary fiber, zucchini is also rich in potassium and vitamin C.
  • The world’s largest zucchini was 69.5” long and weight 65 pounds!
  • But bigger isn’t better when it comes to zucchini squash. Zucchini experts say the best-tasting ones are small- to medium-sized. And, the darker the skin, the richer the zucchini is in nutrients.
Gluten Free Salmon Zucchini Quinoa Burgers

Grilled Salmon Zucchini Quinoa Burgers are totally off the hook with fresh flavor and will make a splash at your next backyard cookout, pool party or seaside soiree. Plus, they are a sneaky way to add a little veggie to the meal, thanks to grated zucchini – and we all know zucchini is prolific this time of year.  GET RECIPE

tuna avocado zucchini boats

Mushroom Pizza-stuffed Zucchini Boats are an easy, cheesy, vegetarian meal with a lower-carb profile. Plenty of protein to make this a balanced meal thanks to a satisfying cottage cheese filling. Feel free to customize the toppings if you don’t love mushrooms. GET RECIPE

Chipotle-Lime Code with Summer Veggie Saute is a delicious fish dinner you can make up in a single skillet, no sweat! Fresh and flavorful with a southwestern-inspired medley of veggies that includes corn and zucchini. Also a fast fix  – in only 10 minutes you’ll be feasting.  GET RECIPE:

Zoodles Marinara with Stuffed Mushrooms for meal prep

Zoodles Marinara with Three-Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms is an easy zucchini noodle for your low-carb, gluten-free, vegetarian dinners and meal preps. So simple with steamed, spiralized zoodles and the bottled marinara of your choice (I like a no-sugar added sauce) – and the cheesy stuffed mushrooms on top make this zucchini pasta next level. GET RECIPE

12 Minute Zoodle Noodle Toss

12-Minute Zoodle AND Noodle Toss is for those who want both their veggies and their pasta! It’s a great compromise and the secret ingredient is salty preserved lemons which make this dish so vibrant and tasty. A perfect pairing for the chicken, seafood or meat paring of your choice! GET RECIPE

Green Glow Zucchini Salad with Lemon Gremolata Dressing is a yummy summer dish that is Paleo, Vegan, Gluten-free and super easy to make.

Green Glow Chilled Zucchini Salad with Lemon Gremolata Dressing is more than just another “zoodle” recipe, this salad made of spiralized zucchini also boast loads of other green goodness – like edamame beans, avocados, pistachios, and more. Plus, the lemon gremolata dressing adds lot of citrusy zing! GET RECIPE

Making Pork Verde Zucchini Enchiladas with Hatch Green Chile Pulled Pork

Pork Verde Zucchini Enchiladas are missing just one thing – tortillas! But who needs tortillas anyway, when ribbon-cut strips of zucchini can substitute quite nicely! Creamy and cheesy, this low-carb enchiladas and filled with delicious morsels of shredded pork and mildly spicy green chiles. GET RECIPE

Watermelon Raspberry Quinoa Salad with Ginger Mint Dressing

Summer is nearly here and this Watermelon, Raspberry, & Quinoa Salad with Ginger Mint Dressing is an easy-fix for upcoming pool parties, picnics and patio dining.

 Fully-loaded, this watermelon salad won’t leave you hunger a few minutes later. It’s actually quite hearty with quinoa, sunflower seeds, feta cheese, loads of greens, juicy watermelon and raspberries.

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Why I love this watermelon salad, other that the amazing taste: Fresh ingredients to fuel my adventures, no cooking, stunning as a side dish but hearty enough for a main course (especially if you add some shrimp or salmon!).

I love how watermelon is a refreshing and delicious addition to salads, providing a burst of sweetness, hydration and nutrients.  It’s also a smart way to use up leftover watermelon, if you purchased a big one! By the way, check out this post on how to efficiently cut up a jumbo-sized watermelon fast.

Ginger Mint Dressing, so fresh and fragrant!

Let’s talk about the fresh, invigorating, and aromatic dressing. Ginger Mint Dressing is so simple to make with just a quick blast in a personal-sized blender. It’s also a smart way to tackle mint that likes to take over gardens this time of year. Now and then, I pull out my juice to make Ginger Juice (and store in small portions in my freezer). Check out my tips on Juicing Ginger Root. However, if I’m “out of stock,’ for convenience I just rely on bottled ginger juice or the little ginger juice shots you can buy in the fresh juice section of the produce department. 

This Ginger Mint Dressing also makes an amazing marinade for fish and shrimp.

Enjoy!

Note: This post contains affiliate links.

5 from 5 votes
Hydrate and invigorate with this juicy fresh salad featuring watermelon, raspberries and quinoa! The zingy ginger mint dressing is amazing. It’s a stunningly colorful side dish or add shrimp or salmon for a main dish.
Watermelon, Raspberry & Quinoa Salad with Ginger Mint Dressing.
Prep Time
15 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 

Hydrate and invigorate with this juicy fresh salad featuringwatermelon, raspberries and quinoa! The zingy ginger mint dressing is amazing.It’s a stunningly colorful side dish or add shrimp or salmon for a main dish.

Course: entree salad
Keyword: ginger, mint, quinoa, raspberries, summer, watermelon
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 3 cups baby spinach leaves
  • 1 cup microgreens of choice
  • 2 cups chopped watermelon
  • ½ cup fresh raspberries
  • 1 cup prepared quinoa
  • ¼ cup crumbled feta
  • ¼ cup sunflower seeds
Dressing
  • 1 2- oz bottle ginger juice like Suja
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbs lemon juice
  • ¼ cup mint leaves
Instructions
  1. Add salad ingredients to bowl. Then add all dressing ingredients to small blender and process until mostly smooth. If you don’t have ginger juice, you can sub watermelon juice (from the watermelon prep run off) and a ½ teaspoon of finely grated ginger. Pour dressing over salad and gently toss. Best eaten same day as dressed – serves 4 as a side.

Watermelon Salad with Chamoy Dressing + More Spring Recipes

Note: This post is sponsored by Watermelon.org. However, all opinions, comments and enthusiasm remain my own.

Hello to spring and howdy to watermelon salads! No more hot and heavy soups for supper, the weather is warming up, my mood is lightening up, and my plate is filling up with all the beautiful produce of the season!

Watermelon Salad, watermelon salad recipe, chamoy watermelon, chamoy on watermelon summer fruit salad, summer salad recipes with fruit, cutting watermelon
Making a savory-sweet watermelon salad is life . . . literally life, seeing as how many health benefits watermelon offers including vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytonutrients. Watermelon is cholesterol-free, fat-free, sodium-free, and has 80 calories per 2-cup serving. It contains nutrients that support heart health, like magnesium (6% DV) and phosphorus (2% DV). Each serving also has 25% DV of vitamin C which is important for growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body.  Perhaps my favorite thing about watermelon (other than the sweet taste and natural energy it provides for my training) is that 92% water which helps me stay hydrated.

Other reason to incorporate watermelon salad recipes into your life is that a watermelon salad is a quick and easy meal fix and completely customizable to suit your personal preferences.
ways to cut watermelon
Quick and Easy. It is NOT as hard or time consuming as you might think to cut a large watermelon. That’s a common objection I enjoy overcoming with friends, family and anyone who gives me drama about cutting up a watermelon. In fact, I’ve done a whole article and video showing my technique for cutting up a large watermelon in about 5 minutes.



If you still are intimidated or unmotivated about cutting watermelon for salads, buying it pre-cut in the produce department is the next best way. While this pre-prepped route is more expensive, you typically get very sweet melon as the produce department tends to pick the best watermelons for their point-of-purchase, prepped containers.
Check out this 30 second tutorial!
mix and match watermelon salad ideas
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Customizable. Watermelon salads can be what YOU want them to be. Today, I’m sharing a recipe for Watermelon Spinach Salad with Chamoy . . .. it totally suits my love for spicy-sweet things and brings me joy.  Chamoy is a Mexican condiment made from dried apricots, chile de arbol, hibiscus flowers, citrus, and other seasonings . . . and trust me, chamoy on watermelon is incredibly tasty and lights up every part of your taste senses.

For my chamoy watermelon recipe and watermelon salad recipes in general, it’s simple to swap out all the salad ingredients (except watermelon) for the items you prefer or have on hand. For example, instead of queso fresco, use blue cheese. Instead of pumpkin seeds, use pecans. Instead of Chamoy, use a balsamic vinaigrette. You get the idea. In fact, I’ve made a pin-ready chart (above) to give you inspiration for endless mix-and match watermelon salads.

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Tips for Watermelon with Chamoy Salad

  • The yellow flowers are dandelions foraged from my lawn.  All parts of this “weed” plant (except stems which taste bitter) are beneficial to consume, you can even use dandelion leaves in place of or addition to the spinach.
  • Dried apricots are tossed in the salad to enhance the apricot in the chamoy, but any other dried fruit would be equally delicious.
  • Chamoy can be found in the bottled condiment area of Mexican markets or larger grocery stores. You can also make your own (time consuming) or order it online. The consistency varies from very thick to very thin – look for something in the middle. If too thick, thin down a bit with juice from your watermelon! 
  • Leftover chamoy is delicious used as a rim on cocktails or mocktails – watermelon margarita, anyone?!
  • Instead of the wedge presentation, the salad can feature watermelon cubes or watermelon balls
  • The recipe is easy to scale up or down, and you don’t have to get hung up on precise measurements
  • This salad is best consumed right after making to prevent wilting and sogginess..

Find more summer salad recipes with fruit (and watermelon) at The Fit Fork:

watermelon chia summer salad thefitfork.com

Watermelon Quinoa Salad with Salsa

watermelon tomato tajin salad thefitfork.com

Watermelon Jicama Salad with Tajin Honey Vinaigrette

grilled watermelon with balsamic cherry salsa

Grilled Watermelon Wedge Salad with Balsamic Cherry Salsa

And, Watermelon.org always has creative, delicious, nutritious watermelon salads (and 100s of other watermelon recipes).  Here are three fruit and vegetable salads with watermelon that I’ve tried and LOVED:

5 from 4 votes
WATERMELON SPINACH SALAD with CHAMOY
Prep Time
10 mins
Total Time
10 mins
 

 A big,juicy wedge is dressed up with pepita seeds, crumbled queso fresco, choppedapricots and chamoy sauce, a spicy-sweet Mexican condiment. It’s an amazingwatermelon salad to kick off Spring break, picnics in the park, runningoutside, and dipping toes in the pool season!

Course: entree salad, Side Dish
Keyword: chamoy, mexican food, tex mex, watermelon
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 wedge watermelon about ¼ to1/8 watermelon, depending on size
  • 2 cups chopped watermelon
  • 6 cups baby spinach
  • ½ cup dried apricots chopped
  • ½ cup crumbled queso fresco
  • ¼ cup Chamoy sauce*
  • ¼ cup pepita seeds
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
  • Optional Edible flowers such as pansies or dandelion
Instructions
  1. To make watermelon wedge, slice watermelon in half lengthwise, then slice that half lengthwise. This will give you a one-quarter wedge. If your watermelon is quite large, you may want to slice this quarter in half (to create a 1/8 watermelon wedge). I guestimate that the total amount of watermelon in the wedge is about 4 cups.
  2. Chop up another 2 cups of watermelon in a bite-size pieces.
  3. Sprinkle washed, dried spinach on platter, place watermelon wedge on top.
  4. Spoon extra watermelon on spinach, around wedge.
  5. Drizzle Chamoy sauce over top of wedge and onto greens.
  6. Sprinkle chopped apricots, crumbled queso fresco, seeds and cilantro on top of wedge and around salad.
  7. If desired, garnish with edible flowers for maximum spring-time effect!
Recipe Notes

*Chamoy sauce is a Mexican condiment sweet-spicy-salty condiment that can be found in most larger grocery stores, from an international market, or you can google the recipe and make your own (it usually features soaked dried: apricots and prunes, hibiscus leave, chile peppers, citrus and more).

WATERMELON FIT | EXERCISE IDEAS & WELLNESS TIPS FOR EVERY SEASON

This post sponsored by Watermelon.org.

Happy 2023! A new year is a great reminder that watermelon can be incorporated into a fit and active lifestyle year-round! I’m sharing some fun ways to use watermelon to fuel workouts and even be part of your fitness routine during every month this year. Let’s get watermelon fit in 2023!

You might be wondering, “Is watermelon only a summer fruit?” No! The good news is that these days, a ripe watermelon is always nearby in any season – spring, summer, winter and fall. More than 30 states in the U.S. boast watermelon crops and the harvest timing starts on the East coast and rolls westward. When the U.S. season is finally over (it’s very long here in Texas, lucky me!), farmers in Mexico and other parts south of the border can deliver fresh watermelon plucked just a few days from the field. Also available markets are watermelon juice, watermelon seeds, and even frozen chunked watermelon flesh can be found in most stores on the freezer aisle. Read more about the Watermelon Year ‘Round story HERE!

WINTER WATERMELON FIT TIPS

This easy-to-make warm punch featuring watermelon juice is naturally sweet and delicious, bejeweled with fruit and fragrant with seasonal spices. Brandy optional! Perfect for holiday entertaining, including brunches, open houses, cocktail parties and more!

Finding Watermelon in Winter: If your market doesn’t have fresh watermelon, check the freezer aisle for chunks (usually next to the frozen berries), or packaged watermelon seeds, or watermelon juice. If you have the planning gene, you can also meal prep all this watermelon goodness for the freezer when it is more abundant.

Good-for-you Watermelon Drinks: Make a mocktail for winter celebrations using watermelon juice, citrus juice and fresh ginger – or my recipe for Mulled Watermelon Cider is always welcomed with a crowd. Or, take the chill off cold days (or blustery outside runs) with warmed watermelon juice with a squeeze of lemon, fresh ginger and pinch of Himalayan Sea salt – it’s a homemade hot sports drink! My recipe for Hot Watermelon Lemonade is also a unique sports recovery drink.

Vitamin C: Not only is watermelon hydrating (over 92% water), it’s also high in vitamin C that may help you get through the winter season well.

Indoor Home Workouts: Stay inside and work toward your fitness goals. No weights? No worries, you can use a watermelon (from a few pounds to 20+ pounds) as your exercise equipment! I’ve shared lots of fun watermelon home workouts, here’s a watermelon workout to try this winter – WATERMELON HOME WORKOUT!

SPRING WATERMELON FIT TIPS

Spring Salads: Take advantage of watermelon benefits and toss chunks into your grain bowls and salads, heck – throw on an entire wedge! Adding watermelon is a great way to dress up boring salads with some unexpected color and sweetness. Check out a few of my favorite watermelon salad recipe I’ve come up with over the years:

Watermelon Holds for Fitness: This season, if you want to add a watermelon to your workout, try a static hold to complement your runs, walks or dynamic strength training sessions. Static holds are isometric exercises that hold the body in one position for a duration of time. This means your muscles don’t contract and change length as in dynamic exercises, but you still benefit from the “time under tension.”  Here are some static holds to try: most variations of planks, v-sit (boat pose), squat hold (or wall sits), overhead hold, front hold, and glute bridge hold.

How to Pick a Ripe Watermelon: Look for the “field spot” where the watermelon was resting while it grew. The more yellow, even almost yellow-orange, the riper – quite white means not ripe! Also, this takes a bit of intuition, but if the watermelon feels “heavy” for its size, this typically means it will be juicer and sweeter. Some also say rounder watermelons are sweeter than elongated watermelons, but I’m not so sure of that! I’ve had great watermelons of every shape. Also, you can look for “sugar webbing” (the coarse, brown web texture on some watermelons)/

SUMMER WATERMELON FIT TIPS

Watermelon Floats: Yes, watermelon floats! This makes the fruit a fun item not just to eat in the summer but to play pool games with at a party. My kids always loved to stand on paddle boards and toss the watermelon back and forth to see who would fall off first! The buoyancy of watermelon also makes it useful for pool workouts by adding resistance when you push or pull it under watermelon.

Grilling Watermelon: Many of us are outside, grilling all the things in the warm weather months. Why not grill watermelon?! Grilling watermelon lends a smokey, savory vibe to the light sweetness that is oh-so magnificently summery. Check out my recipes for Grilled Watermelon with Cherry Balsamic Salsa and Spicy Sweet Watermelon Shrimp Kebobs for summer meals with watermelon inspiration.

Watermelon Juice: Quench your thirst this summer with watermelon juice. I simply collect the juice from a watermelon while cutting it up. It’s easiest to do this if you cut it in a big rimmed baking sheet (so juices to spill out onto counter) and then pour juice out one corner of pan into mesh strainer over glass jar to remove any seeds and excess pulp. I also collect the juice that seeps out of cut watermelon and collects in my plastic storage container. This raw juice stays fresh for up to 72 hours in the fridge or can be frozen for several months. Learn more watermelon juice benefits at my post, Watermelon Juice – How to Prep, Store and More.

FALL WATERMELON FIT TIPS

Watermelon Ruck: Rucking is a big fitness trend right now, but it’s actually ages old and really simple. A ruck is just a walk, hike, run, or other similar workout with a weight on your back. In simple terms, you wear a rucksack (aka backpack) and walk! Rucking and watermelon are a natural fit. Stick the watermelon in your backpack for weight to carry, and when you’re done, slice it open and enjoy as a refreshing, way to refuel.

How to Ruck-Cut a Watermelon: If you’re out on a ruck, then simple slices or wedges of watermelon with the rind on will be the easiest to prep and also to eat. You’ll want to carry a camping knife in a protective sheath for safety. If it’s a personal-sized watermelon, just whack it in half and dig the flesh out with a spoon (or an implement from your Swiss army knife).  Also, it’s a smart idea to stash a big zip-top bag in your rucksack in case you need to carry leftovers home!  If you’re not cutting the watermelon until you get home, check out my favorite way to cut and store a big watermelon in 5 minutes.

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7-Layer Italian Pesto Quinoa Dip – Easy Appetizer

Seven Layer Italian Pesto Quinoa Dip is a quick, easy and elegant appetizer for holiday entertaining or just everyday munching. Made with flavorful, nourishing items convenient to keep on hand in the pantry and fridge, this simple-to-assemble party dip can be ready to serve in under 10 minutes – and stores beautifully overnight if you want to make ahead.

This quick and easy layered dip makes a show-stopping appetizer in just a few minutes thanks to bottled pesto sauces (I used Sea Asparagus Pesto - but feel free to get creative). You can also serve mixed up in a bowl for an easier presentation. Great scooped onto crackers, or with chips -- also leftovers fantastic on a green salad for lunch or a light dinner.

Inspired by easy party dips my mom used to make in the 80s as well as elegant molded and stacked tartare dishes, this layered dish features strata upon strata of marinated and bold flavors and various textures that play well together when scooped up with a chip, dolloped on a cracker or just eaten by the spoon! I like to use up any leftovers sprinkled on a green salad!

This quick and easy layered dip makes a show-stopping appetizer in just a few minutes thanks to bottled pesto sauces (I used Sea Asparagus Pesto - but feel free to get creative). You can also serve mixed up in a bowl for an easier presentation. Great scooped onto crackers, or with chips -- also leftovers fantastic on a green salad for lunch or a light dinner.

Many of the ingredients (such as the hummus, marinated artichokes, and sun-dried tomatoes) can be conveniently purchased pre-prepared in the deli or gourmet aisle of your favorite market. To make things speedy, you can also pick up a pouch of pre-cooked quinoa on the grain aisle – or defrost a bag of frozen cooked quinoa that has been meal prepped (that is my economical way – see quinoa freezer and meal prep post here).

This quick and easy layered dip makes a show-stopping appetizer in just a few minutes thanks to bottled pesto sauces (I used Sea Asparagus Pesto - but feel free to get creative). You can also serve mixed up in a bowl for an easier presentation. Great scooped onto crackers, or with chips -- also leftovers fantastic on a green salad for lunch or a light dinner.

The flavor cornerstone of this Italian layered dip is pesto – but not just any ole pesto! I used Sea Artichoke Pesto from Foraged & Found. I must admit, when I was sent some jars to try out, I did have to Google “What is Sea Asparagus.” What I found out is that Sea Asparagus (Salicornia) is a sea succulent that has a salty, ocean taste when eaten raw and brined, mellower flavor when cooked — used as an ingredient it really maximizes the umami taste in so many dishes from pasta and pizza to seafood and grilled meats.

Sea Asparagus sustainably harvested in Alaska.

What I love about the Foraged & Found company is that they have found a way to share healthful Alaskan foods from the wild that have been sustainably harvested and transformed into some of my favorite kitchen staples – like this Sea Asparagus Pesto. The sea asparagus pesto tastes very similar to a traditional pesto (but better) made with additional ingredients such as almonds, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic and lemon. So clever and eco-conscious!

Sea Asparagus Pesto
Sea Asparagus Pesto from Foraged & Found is mixed into quinoa.

Turning this pesto layered dip is a snap! Most of the pesto is soaked into the quinoa, and a generous dollop is saved for the top.

This quick and easy layered dip makes a show-stopping appetizer in just a few minutes thanks to bottled pesto sauces (I used Sea Asparagus Pesto - but feel free to get creative). You can also serve mixed up in a bowl for an easier presentation. Great scooped onto crackers, or with chips -- also leftovers fantastic on a green salad for lunch or a light dinner.
Use a 16-oz. container for a mold.

You’ll need a 16-ounce container to use as a mold – it can be cylinder-shaped (like a yogurt or sour cream container) or even a bowl – just make sure that the bottom (which will be the “top” when inverted) is narrower than the opening. I simply used the square plastic container that was provided at the olive bar when I loaded up on marinated tomatoes and artichokes for the recipe!

When layering this creative Italian dip, remember that each level loaded in goes in reverse of how it will look when presented. When inverting on a plate and releasing from a mold, the first ingredients put in at the bottom of the container become the items on top.

Order for Layers (press down lightly, as needed, after each layer):

Note: Start with 1 Tbsp. of reserved oil from the marinated artichokes or tomatoes (this helps release from the mold)

  • Pecans, chopped
  • Blue Cheese, crumbled
  • Garlic Hummus
  • Sun-dried Tomatoes, chopped
  • Marinated Artichokes, chopped
  • Fresh Spinach, shredded
  • Quinoa Mixed with Pesto

Chill a bit if needed to firm up and then, invert by placing a plate on top and flipping over quickly.

This quick and easy layered dip makes a show-stopping appetizer in just a few minutes thanks to bottled pesto sauces (I used Sea Asparagus Pesto - but feel free to get creative). You can also serve mixed up in a bowl for an easier presentation. Great scooped onto crackers, or with chips -- also leftovers fantastic on a green salad for lunch or a light dinner.
If your mold fails, just serve it jumbled up in a bowl — it still tastes great!

The cool thing about this Italian quinoa recipe is that if you have a “fail” when trying to release the mold, and it falls all over the place, you can just throw it all into a bowl and stir up! It tastes just the same, and still looks pretty because it’s so colorful – in fact, I’ve made it this way on purpose before! Also, you can just skip the inverting and stand-alone presentation – just layer it up how you want in a dish. The only downside here is that all the pretty ingredients can’t be seen at once.

Learn more about Foraged & Found and get more sea asparagus recipes:

Note: This post is sponsored by Foraged & Found as part of a bloggers recipe contest. #foragednfoundak #eatwild #wildalaskanprovisions

5 from 3 votes
This quick and easy layered dip makes a show-stopping appetizer in just a few minutes thanks to bottled pesto sauces (I used Sea Asparagus Pesto - but feel free to get creative). You can also serve mixed up in a bowl for an easier presentation. Great scooped onto crackers, or with chips -- also leftovers fantastic on a green salad for lunch or a light dinner.
7-Layer Italian Pesto Quinoa Dip
Prep Time
10 mins
Total Time
10 mins
 

r a light dinner.

Course: Appetizer, entree salad, Snack
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: appetizer, dip, party food, pesto, quinoa
Calories: 187 kcal
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup chopped pecans
  • 2 oz. blue cheese crumbled
  • 4 oz. garlic hummus
  • 1 cup fresh spinach chopped
  • 4 oz. sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil (mostly drained*) chopped
  • 4 oz. artichokes packed in oil mostly drained, chopped
  • 4 oz. Sea Asparagus Pesto from Found & Foraged reserve 2 Tbsp. for garnish
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • * Reserve 1 tbsp oil from marinated tomatoes or artichokes to use as a “lube” for the mold.
Instructions
  1. Use a 16-ounce square or round “mold” that is slightly tapered, meaning the bottom is narrower than the top – this will allow layered dip to slide out easily when inverted. A sour cream or yogurt container works nicely.
  2. In medium bowl, mix together cooked quinoa with most of the 4 ounces of pesto (save about 2 tablespoons for garnish).
  3. Add the approximate 1 Tbsp. of reserved oil from the marinated artichokes or tomatoes to bottom of mold container and swirl around. This helps release layers later).
  4. Add layers in this order: Chopped Pecans, Crumbled Blue Cheese, Hummus, Chopped Sun-dried Tomatoes, Chopped Marinated Artichokes, Shredded Spinach, Pesto Quinoa Mixture.
  5. If needed, stick in fridge for 10 minutes to firm up (sometimes the hummus gets too soft at room temperature).
  6. Remove from fridge and carefully run knife around edges of container to help release layers when inverted (but taking care not to “smear” it all together).
  7. Place plate on top of mold opening and quickly invert, gently pulling off mold container. ***
  8. Dollop with remaining pesto.
  9. *** If you have a failure when trying to release the mold, the nice thing about this recipe is that it can be served in a bowl stirred together as a jumble! It tastes just the same, and still looks pretty because it’s so colorful!
Recipe Notes