At this point, I don’t think it’s any secret how I feel about pickled foods. For those of you who’ve followed my channel for a while, you know I’m a big fan and have even done a whole series on pickled foods from around the world. So, I was pretty excited when I discovered this submission for pickled zucchini as part of my latest series.

I asked people from around the world how they like to eat zucchini. Henar in Madrid, Spain answered with this recipe for Noquerones, also known as pickled zucchini. Noquerones is a play on Boquerones – a popular tapa in Spain. Boquerones en vinagre is a dish consisting of anchovies marinated in a blend of vinegar, garlic, and olive oil. Noquerones, then, is a vegetarian variation that swaps the anchovies for zucchini.

Throughout the summer, Henar is usually lucky enough to receive tons of fresh zucchini from friends and family, which she happily turns into a batch of Noquerones. For your own batch, you’ll need to use a vegetable peeler to turn all of that squash into thin, beautiful ribbons. However, Henar recommends removing all of the green skin from the zucchinis before you start. This extra step, according to her, helps prevent the final Noquerones from becoming bitter.

The skinless, zucchini ribbons are then left to pickle in a combination of water and rice vinegar. When they’ve reached pickled perfection, drain off the liquid and top with some minced garlic, parsley, and a bit more olive oil. Leave everything to sit and marinade one last time and then dig in. Sure, there are a few steps to this recipe and it does take a bit of time, but it’s oh so worth it.

The final Noquerones are refreshingly crisp with a nice, light flavor and a bit of crunch. Plus, you get amazing pops of garlic in every bite. Noquerones is a dish that really lets zucchini shine and can be used in so many ways. Whip up Noquerones as an appetizer, snack, side dish, or embrace its Spanish heritage and serve as part of a tapas lineup with friends.