Spiralize
To spiralize is to cut vegetables or fruit into long, curly strands with a spiral slicer, often to make zucchini noodles or sweet potato spirals.
Also called Spiralized, Zoodles, Courgetti, Vegetable noodles.
To spiralize means to turn a vegetable or fruit into long, thin, curly strands with a spiral slicer. The strands look like noodles. Zucchini (courgette in the UK) is the most common choice, but carrots, beets (beetroot in the UK), sweet potatoes, cucumbers, apples and daikon work too.
How to do it
- Choose straight, firm vegetables at least 4 cm (1 1/2 inches) wide.
- Trim both ends flat.
- Fix one end on the blade side and the other on the prongs of the handle.
- Pick the blade: flat for ribbons, small teeth for thin noodles, larger teeth for thick noodles.
- Turn the handle while pressing the vegetable gently toward the blade.
- Cut the long strands with kitchen scissors so they are easy to eat.
A julienne peeler or a mandoline with a julienne blade gives straight strands if you do not have a spiral slicer. That is a julienne rather than a spiral.
How to use it
- Zucchini noodles: eat raw with a dressing, or sauté in a little oil for 1 to 2 minutes until just warm.
- Sweet potato and beet spirals: roast at 200°C (400°F) for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender.
- Carrot and cucumber spirals: toss raw into salads and noodle bowls.
- Apple spirals: add to salads or bake with cinnamon.
How to store it
Keep raw spiralized vegetables in a sealed container lined with a paper towel in the fridge. Firm ones such as carrots and beets keep for 3 to 5 days. Zucchini noodles are best within 1 to 2 days.
Common mistakes
- Overcooking zucchini noodles. They go limp and give off water. Cook them briefly, or warm them only with the hot sauce.
- Not drying watery vegetables. Salt zucchini noodles lightly, leave them in a colander for 15 minutes, then pat dry.
- Using curved or soft vegetables. They break into short pieces.
- Adding the sauce long before serving. The strands release water and thin the sauce.
In recipes
"Zoodles" and "courgetti" are zucchini noodles. "Spiralized" means cut into spiral strands, usually with a medium noodle blade unless the recipe says otherwise.
Recipes that use this technique
18 recipes from the sites we collect.
Spiralized Mexican Sweet Potato and Chicken Casserole
www.skinnytaste.com · 105 min
Asian Beef Zoodle Soup (Whole30)
www.skinnytaste.com · 20 min
Spiralized Sweet Potato Latkes
www.skinnytaste.com · 30 min
Chicken Zoodle "Lo Mein" For Two
www.skinnytaste.com · 30 min
Spiralized Apple and Cabbage Slaw
www.skinnytaste.com · 20 min
Chicken and Zucchini Noodle Caprese
www.skinnytaste.com · 30 min
Roasted Spiralized Butternut Squash Noodles
www.skinnytaste.com · 25 min
Chipotle Chicken Zucchini "Fideo" Soup (Slow Cooker or Instant Pot)
www.skinnytaste.com · 45 min
Spiralized Raw Zucchini Salad with Avocado and Edamame
www.skinnytaste.com · 25 min
Raw Spiralized Beet & Mandarin Salad with Mint
www.skinnytaste.com · 15 min
Spiralized Carrot Salad with Lemon and Dijon
www.skinnytaste.com · 15 min
Spiralized Summer Roll Bowls with Hoisin Peanut Sauce
www.skinnytaste.com · 10 min
Related terms
- ZucchiniZucchini is a mild green summer squash, tender enough to eat raw and quick to cook. In the UK, Ireland and France it is called courgette.
- JulienneJulienne is a knife cut that turns vegetables into thin, even matchsticks about 3 mm thick and 5 cm long, for salads, stir-fries and garnishes.
- MandolineA mandoline is a flat slicer with a fixed blade that cuts vegetables into even, paper-thin slices. Here is how to use one safely.
- SautéTo sauté is to cook small pieces of food quickly in a little hot fat over fairly high heat, tossing or stirring so they brown lightly and cook evenly.
- Pat dryTo pat dry is to blot the surface of meat, fish or vegetables with paper towels before cooking. A dry surface browns well and does not spit in hot oil.