Fresh Zucchini Salad
Published 7/17/2021 • Updated 8/8/2022
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This zucchini salad is a fresh and flavorful side for any summer meal. And with a short list of ingredients and a deliciously fresh homemade dressing, this salad is ready to serve in no time.
Zucchini Season is Here!
Cheers to zucchini season! We love this time of year for many reasons, one of which is the delicious and nutritious zucchini is in season. You’ll find us grilling, baking and sautéing zucchini in the Fit Foodie kitchen, but many people forget you can actually eat this veggie raw, too.
And that’s exactly what we’re doing with this fresh zucchini salad. Let’s get into it, shall we!?
The Perfect Zucchini Salad
We’ve been making this zucchini salad nonstop since the first zucchini harvest in our gardens earlier this month! You’re going to love the fresh flavors of this salad, and the simple yet flavorful dressing. It’s a great salad for a summer BBQ or easy lunch on the go.
Simple Dressing for Zucchini Salad
This simple dressing comes together in 7 common ingredients you likely already have on hand, and gives this zucchini salad the most deliciously fresh zip. You’ll need:
- Olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Lemon juice
- Lemon zest
- Honey
- Salt and pepper
How to make a homemade dressing: add all the above ingredients into a mason jar, cover and shake, shake, shake til everything is combined. Pour over your zucchini salad and ENJOY.
Choose the Perfect Zucchini
How do you know what size zucchini to buy for this salad? Honestly, any size zucchini will do. In a perfect world, you would choose medium-sized zucchinis for this recipe because they have smaller seeds and less water content.
If you do have larger zucchinis from your garden, those will work, too! You will likely only need 1 or 2 instead of 3 medium zucchinis.
How to Make Zucchini Salad – Step by Step
This zucchini salad looks super fancy, but is actually quite simple to make. Here’s what you’ll need to do:
Mandolin the zucchini
Begin by using a mandolin to slice the zucchini lengthwise into 1/8-inch thick ribbons, and then place them in a bowl.
Don’t have a mandolin? Check out some of our recommendations for slicing your zucchini below 😀
Add remaining veggies & herbs
Add the red onion, dill, and green onion into the bowl with the zucchini and set aside.
Toast pine nuts
Next, place the pine nuts into a small skillet pan and toast over medium/low heat until they are golden brown (3-5 minutes depending on stove).
When the pine nuts are toasted immediately pour them into a bowl so they do not continue to cook. It’s easy to burn pine nuts, so don’t skip this step!
Prepare homemade dressing
Prepare the dressing by adding the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, salt, and pepper into a Mason jar. Cover and shake the jar until all of the ingredients are combined.
All together now
Pour the dressing over the sliced zucchini and toss the ingredients in the dressing.
Lastly, fold the greens and pine nuts into the salad.
Serve & Enjoy!
Serve immediately, or place the salad into the fridge to chill. ENJOY!
Don’t Have a Mandolin?
We love using a simple mandolin to slice the zucchini for this salad, but if you don’t have one, feel free to use any of the following:
- Spiralizer
- Thinly slice into medallions
- Thinly slice in strips
Can You Eat Zucchini Raw?
Yes, you can! In fact, this zucchini salad calls for raw zucchini, which offers a crisp and crunchy texture that complements well with the crunchy red onions and fresh dill.
Is Zucchini Healthy?
From a nutritional standpoint, zucchini is top notch! It packs high antioxidant content, vitamins like B6, folate and C + minerals like magnesium, and zero fat. There are few vegetables that offer more versatility and nutritional benefits than the zucchini.
Leftover Zucchini?
Do you have more zucchini to use up? We have plenty of healthy zucchini recipes on Fit Foodie Finds! Check out this lasagna zucchini casserole, these taco stuffed zucchini boats, or this coconut oil zucchini bread.
Storage
This salad is best served the same day it is made as the zucchini and onion slices will be freshest and most crunchy. If you have to store it, we recommend storing this zucchini salad in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Zucchini Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini, thinly sliced into strips
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped dill, de-stemmed
- 2 green onions, sliced into strips
- 1/4 cup raw pine nuts
- 1 cup arugula or microgreens
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Begin by using a mandolin to slice the zucchini lengthwise into 1/8-inch thick ribbons. Place them in a bowl.
- Add the red onion, dill, and green onion into the bowl with the zucchini and set aside.
- Next, place the pine nuts into a small skillet pan and toast the pine nuts over medium/low heat until they are golden brown (3-5 minutes depending on stove).
- When the pine nuts are toasted immediately pour them into a bowl so they do not continue to cook.
- Prepare the dressing by adding the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, salt, and pepper into a Mason jar. Cover and shake the jar until all of the ingredients are combined.
- Pour the dressing over the sliced zucchini and toss the ingredients in the dressing.
- Fold the greens and pine nuts into the salad.
- Serve immediately or place the salad into the fridge to chill.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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