1 cup mung beans or French lentils, or a combination of both - soaked in purified water overnight
sea salt
4 small zucchini - sliced into thin ribbons lengthwise, preferably on a mandolin
⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
⅓ cup olive oil
½ tablespoon fennel seeds - toasted and freshly ground
1 garlic clove - minced
pinch of red pepper flakes
about 1 cup minced fresh herbs, such as dill, mint, parsley, basil, cilantro
freshly ground black pepper
avocado - for serving (optional)
microgreens - for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Drain and rinse the mung beans/lentils and place them in a medium soup pot. Cover with plenty of water, bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 7 minutes. Taste for doneness and cook longer if needed, until fully cooked, but not mushy. Add salt at the end. Drain, transfer to a medium bowl or shallow dish and set aside. If cooking both mung beans and lentils, cook them separately, as they have different cooking times.
Place the ribboned zucchini in a colander and generously sprinkle with salt. Let soften and release excess liquid for up to 30 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, fennel seeds, garlic and red pepper flakes, mix until well combined. Add half of the marinade, half of the herbs, salt and pepper to the dish with the cooked mung beans/lentils and stir to coat.
Rinse the zucchini, pat it dry with paper towels, and transfer to a medium shallow dish. Add the remaining marinade, herbs, salt and pepper to the zucchini, and toss to coat. Roll the zucchini slices and put them into the dish with the mung beans/lentils. Drizzle any remaining marinade over top. Alternatively, you can simply combine the beans, zucchini, all of the marinade, herbs, salt and pepper in a dish or bowl, and toss to coat thoroughly, skipping the rolling of the slices (that step is just for looks).
Cover the dish and let marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours or days - the longer, the better. Serve garnished with avocado and microgreens, if using.
Recipe by Golubka Kitchen at https://golubkakitchen.com/fennel-marinated-zucchini-and-mung-beans/