This zucchini salad recipe has a lemon vinaigrette that is bright and zingy. Almonds add crunch and fresh herbs are a flavor bomb! Use only zucchini, or a combination of zucchini and yellow squash. Ready in minutes!
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? 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.
When you DO want to cook, try my zucchini parmesan or this easy creamy zucchini pasta.
Recipe adapted from NYT Cooking.
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 and serve the zucchini 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 salad 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.
FAQ
No you can't make this ahead. It should be made and served immediately. Once the ingredients are tossed in the dressing, the zucchini will start to get watery and lose texture.
Yes! Zucchini is delicious raw and can be served in salads like this one, or on a crudité platter.
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.
Variations
- Experiment with different fresh herbs! You can make a zucchini salad with other soft herbs like cilantro, tarragon or chives would be great.
- Swap different nuts into the salad like pistachios (their green color would pair so well with the zucchini) or hazelnuts.
- If you can find pecorino cheese, use parmigiano reggiano (parmesan) or grana padano.
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.
- Is it even summer without some Dill Potato Salad?
- The juices from freshly sliced and macerating strawberries create the base of the dressing for this Strawberry and Arugula Salad with Basil and Mint.
You'll love this quick and easy zucchini salad!
- 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...) Cutting the zucchini into batons
- Loaded with fresh herbs: It tastes like summer on a plate! If you know me at all, you know that if I can put fresh herbs in a salad I will! They add a whole new dimension of flavor I love to use fresh herbs from the garden if I can. Remember if it grows together it goes together: Zucchini and basil are summer buddies so they work perfectly in this salad.
- Zingy flavor: Lemon juice and capers in the salad dressing add bright, tart, salty, and umami flavors that don't overpower the zucchini.
- It's so quick: Ready in 15 minutes!
- It's vegetarian and gluten free: Everyone should be able to enjoy summer's bounty.
If you enjoy this recipe, please leave me a 5-star rating in the recipe card! It really helps others find my content and helps my business grow! Sign up for my newsletter for recipes delivered to your inbox and follow me on Instagram and Pinterest! Thank you!
Recipe
Zucchini Salad Recipe
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
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.)
- 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.
SARAH
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!
Debra
Hi Sarah!
Yay for fresh zucchini from the garden! So glad you like it!
Thanks as always for reading,
Debra
Linda Cummings
Great way to use that abundant Sumner squash