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    Home » Recipes » Zucchini Salad with Herbs, Almonds, and Lemon-Caper Dressing

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

    Published: Jul 9, 2021 · Modified: May 25, 2022 · by Debra with 3 Comments · 1344 words. About 7 minutes to read this article. · This post contains affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    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!

    Zucchini salad on a wooden plate surrouned by herbs, lemons and a napkin.

    This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through my links, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy here.

    You know the drill. Summer comes along and then, what to do with all that zucchini? You find yourself searching through endless zucchini recipes, 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 NYT Cooking.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Step by step instructions
    • Tips
    • FAQs
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Related recipes
    • Recipe
    Zucchini, yellow squash, basil, parsley, lemons, and small bowls with capers, almonds, garlic and pecorino.

    Ingredients

    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!

    Step by step instructions

    A juicer, lemon halves, a bowl of capers, a zester, and a bowl with a whisk and salad dressing.

    First, 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.

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

    A knife on a cutting board with chopped herbs.

    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.)

    A knife and a vegetable peeler on a cutting board with pecorino and almonds.

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

    Zucchini and squash cut into batons.

    How to slice the zucchini (and squash if using) 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.

    Zucchini salad ingredients in a glass bowl with a black spatula.

    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.

    Zucchini salad on a tan plate.

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

    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.

    FAQs

    Can I make this ahead?

    This zucchini salad should be made and eaten right away, it doesn't really 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.
    • This salad would be the perfect complement to a simple roast chicken.

    Related 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

    Zucchini salad with almonds, pecorino, and capers topped with fresh basil on a light brown plate.

    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!
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: Italian, vegetarian
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
    Keyword: zucchini salad
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 0 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 162kcal

    Equipment

    • chef's knife
    • cutting board
    • microplane grater
    • mixing bowls
    • silicone spatula
    • vegetable peeler

    Ingredients

    • 18 oz small zucchini or a mix of zucchini and squash
    • 3 tbso olive oli
    • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
    • zest of one lemon
    • 1 clove garlic
    • 3 tbsp capers divided
    • ½ cup fresh basil leaves
    • ½ cup fresh parsley
    • ½ cup shaved pecorino cheese
    • ⅓ cup raw or roasted almonds unsalted
    US Customary - Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • First, 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. (It's important to make the dressing first, so the garlic can mellow out a little before you toss it into the salad.)
    • 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.
    • Cut 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 those planks and slice into batons.
    • Combine the zucchini, herbs, nuts, and ¾ of the cheese in a large mixing bowl and pour the salad dressing over, mix gently to combine. Taste for seasoning.
    • Transfer to a serving plate and top with remaining capers, pecorino, and a few more sprigs of herbs.

    Notes

    • Adapted from NYT Cooking.
    • 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 salad is best eaten right away. It's not well-suited for make-ahead or leftovers. 
     
     
    This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through my links, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy here.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 162kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 503mg | Potassium: 496mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1150IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 211mg | Iron: 2mg
    « Fresh Corn Salad with Blistered Shishito Peppers and Lime Dressing
    Zucchini Parmesan (Parmigiana di Zucchine) »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. SARAH

      June 30, 2022 at 8:42 pm

      5 stars
      This is delicious! Our zucchini is one of the first veggies to explode in our summer garden and with the heat index consistently above 100 this fresh and light dish is a nice compliment to any meal!

      Reply
      • Debra

        July 01, 2022 at 6:14 pm

        Hi Sarah!

        Yay for fresh zucchini from the garden! So glad you like it!

        Thanks as always for reading,

        Debra

        Reply
    2. Linda Cummings

      August 15, 2021 at 1:53 pm

      5 stars
      Great way to use that abundant Sumner squash

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Debra! I love to cook and eat and travel, and cook the things I eat when I travel! I'm a detail-oriented Virgo, so it's my jam to simplify recipes and break them down into easy to follow steps. I help you bring the world to your table!

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