Whether you’re looking for a light healthy lunch or a side dish to pair with your grilling recipes, this zucchini salad recipe adds so much flavor, with real food ingredients. Plus, it’s simple to make and takes less than 30 minutes.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for this raw zucchini salad recipe, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
How To Make Zucchini Salad
This section shows how to make a zucchini salad, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
Zucchini – When picking squash for zucchini salad recipes, small to medium-sized ones are ideal because they are less watery and a little sweeter. You can also use yellow summer squash or even cucumbers instead of green zucchini. Cherry Tomatoes – You could use other small, sweet tomatoes such as grape tomatoes, or just dice larger tomatoes. Shaved Parmesan Cheese – I love the texture of shaved parmesan here, but shredded works for zucchini ribbon salad, too. You can also try other cheese options, like crumbled feta cheese, goat cheese, fresh mozzarella, burrata, or grated pecorino romano. Simply omit the cheese for a dairy free version. Pine Nuts – These add a delicious nutty crunch, and pair so well with the parmesan. (I use the same combo for arugula salad, too!) You could substitute chopped walnuts, slivered almonds, or pecans, or for nut-free options, try pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or sunflower seeds. Fresh Herbs – I used fresh parsley and fresh chives, but you could try other herbs, such as fresh basil leaves, dill, or mint for different flavors.
Green or red onion would work best here if you want to add it.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – This makes up the base of the dressing. You could use avocado oil, regular olive oil, or really any oil you like. Lemon Juice – Fresh is always best, but bottled lemon juice also works. You can also substitute white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, or balsamic vinegar. Fresh Herbs – Use the same kind that’s in the salad separately. We’re just adding more to the dressing! Garlic Powder – You can substitute 2-4 cloves of fresh minced garlic instead, but the flavor might be too strong. Sea Salt & Black Pepper
They burn easily, so stir them to avoid this. If you’re not a fan of raw zucchini, make grilled zucchini instead. Cool completely, then assemble the salad.
Chicken – Cook up some quick chicken on the stovetop, like creamy chicken florentine or simple pan seared chicken breast. If you want to fire up the grill, any cut of chicken will pair well, but you can’t go wrong with crispy grilled chicken legs. Beef – Tender grilled steak or juicy burgers would make excellent pairings. The zucchini salad is a great way to balance out their stronger flavors. Pork – For the perfect summer meal, serve this salad alongside some juicy grilled pork chops. Seafood – Zucchini always goes well with fish! Try flaky baked salmon or make grilled halibut if it’s hot outside. For other seafood, grilled shrimp skewers, a cold and creamy shrimp salad, or even grilled lobster tail also make great warm weather options. Soup – Serve with summery zucchini soup if you have a lot of squash to use up (or you could also freeze extra zucchini for later). This raw zucchini salad would also go well with other creamy soups, like lobster bisque for a special meal or cauliflower cheese soup for a vegetarian meal.
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