Zucchini Salad with Herbs, Almonds, and Lemon-Caper Dressing

This zucchini salad recipe is bright and fresh, just what you want on a summer day. Use only zucchini, or a combination of zucchini and squash. Ready in minutes!

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You know the drill. Summer comes along and then, what to do with all that zucchini? How about a salad? There are literally thousands of ways to make a zucchini salad, but you want something with a little pizazz.

Well, what's more pizazz-y than lemon and capers? Some of my fave go-to ingredients! I love that the zucchini and squash are sliced into batons, so they keep their texture and don't wilt or get watery, as they are sometimes wont to do.

And it's HOT. This is no time to be exerting yourself. You can make this salad almost instantly. As zucchini recipes go, it's not labor intensive at all. No cooking, no grating, no squeezing, no wringing.

Adapted from New York Times Cooking.

Try a quick and easy zucchini salad with bright flavors!

• Easy prep: We are using raw zucchini and guess what? You don't have to grate it or squeeze it or wring it out! (Unlike so many other zucchini salad recipes...)
• Loaded with fresh herbs so it tastes like summer on a plate.
• Lemon juice and capers make the salad dressing zingy!
• Ready in 15 minutes!
• It's vegetarian and gluten free!

Ingredients you'll need

This zucchini salad is full of bright, fresh flavors, just like summer should be.

• Zucchini: Choose smaller zucchini for this recipe because you don't want them to have too many seeds. You can use a combination of zucchini and squash for a bit of color variation if you like.
• Fresh herbs: Basil and parsley add so much flavor and texture. You can also swap out one or the other for mint if you like. All of three of these soft herbs go well with zucchini.
• Pecorino cheese: Pecorino is a sheep's milk cheese that has a stronger flavor and is a bit saltier than parmesan. Shaving it into big flakes gives it more impact in the salad than grating it. It's a nice change.
• Capers: What's not to love about these briny bits of goodness? They add a salty bite to the dressing and pops of flavor throughout.
• Almonds: Because the cheese and capers are salty, we are using raw or roasted UNSALTED almonds. They add great crunch and texture.
• Lemon juice and zest: I am a BIG fan of citrus zest. It brings a freshness and beautiful aroma. And lemons go beautifully with zucchini and basil. You might as well be in southern Italy with this ingredient combo!
• All that's left is a bit of olive oil, garlic, and a pinch of salt and you're ready to go!

How to make zucchini salad

Step 1: Make the salad dressing

Chop 2 tablespoon capers, set the rest aside. Use a microplane grater to zest the lemon and grate the garlic. Add olive oil, lemon juice, capers, lemon zest, and garlic to a mixing bowl and whisk together. Season with a pinch of salt.

PREP TIP: It's important to make the dressing first, so the garlic can mellow out a little before you toss it into the salad.

Step 2: Prep the herbs, almonds, and parmesan

Roughly chop the parsley and tear the basil and set aside. (Cutting the basil will cause it to bruise and turn brown at the edges.)

Use a good chef's knife to roughly chop the almonds. Use a vegetable peeler to shave the pecorino cheese into big flakes.

Step 3: Slice the zucchini

How to slice the zucchini into batons: First, cut the very top and bottom off, then slice the zucchini into 2-inch pieces. Next, turn each piece on a flat end, and slice in half lengthwise. Now continue to slice each half lengthwise into thick-ish planks. Stack the planks and slice into batons.

Step 4: Assemble the salad

Combine the zucchini, herbs, nuts, and ¾ of the cheese in a large mixing bowl and pour the salad dressing over, mix the salad gently. Taste for seasoning.

Transfer to a serving plate and top with remaining capers, pecorino, and a few more sprigs of herbs.

Zucchini salad tips

• The pecorino and capers have a lot of salt, so I find the pinch of salt in the dressing is plenty. You might just want a sprinkle of Maldon sea salt or something like that at the time of serving. Keep in mind that the more you salt, the more water will be released from the zucchini.
• Yellow squash has very large seeds. So if you are using both squash and zucchini, use very small squash and cut out the seeds as you cut the batons.
• The batons do not have to be perfectly uniform. It's summer, and it's hot and we are not cooking here, so get over yourself.
• This zucchini salad cannot be made ahead. It should be eaten right away and doesn't keep well for leftovers.

Serving Suggestions

Zucchini salad goes well with other summery dishes like Chicken Thighs with Tomatoes, Basil and Garlic, or a simple pasta like Penne all'Arrabbiatta. It would be the perfect complement to Slow Roasted Salmon with Citrus Herb Salsa Verde or a simple roast chicken.

More summer salad recipes

Here are a few more no-cook, easy summer salad recipes to try.

• This Fresh Corn Salad is packed with flavor from cilantro leaves and STEMS, and a bright lime dressing. Blistered shishito peppers add a smoky note.
• Green Bean Salad with Tomatoes, Feta and Mint takes 10 minutes to make and it's perfect for summer picnics and potlucks.
• The juices from freshly sliced and macerating strawberries create the base of the dressing for this Strawberry and Arugula Salad with Basil and Mint.

Recipe