Raw Zucchini Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette
This easy raw zucchini salad recipe combines shaved ribboned zucchini with Italian-inspired flavours like parmesan, olives, basil, and an easy lemon vinaigrette dressing. Ready within 25 minutes, it’s super refreshing, flavourful, and meant to be enjoyed as a cold vegetable side dish.
Are you looking for new and delicious zucchini squash recipe? This raw zucchini salad is such an easy, refreshing, and unique way to enjoy the popular vegetable!
In this recipe, raw zucchini is shaved into ribbons and paired with simple ingredients like parmesan, green olives, basil, pecans, and a homemade lemon vinaigrette. It’s only 10 ingredients total and comes together super quickly!
This zucchini salad is meant to be enjoyed as a side dish. I share a handful of recipe pairing ideas below if you need some inspiration for what to serve this with.
As a registered dietitian, I’m also happy to share that zucchini is not only so tasty, but also super nutritious. I’ve shared some of zucchini health benefits below if interested. Enjoy!
Want more summer salad recipe inspiration? Check out my roundup of 20+ easy, healthy summer salad recipes for more ideas!
Ingredients Needed
All you need to make this raw zucchini salad are 10 simple, healthy ingredients:
- zucchini
- parmesan
- green olive
- raw pecans
- fresh basil
- lemon
- olive oil
- white wine vinegar
- garlic or garlic powder
- dried thyme
Full ingredient measurements and detailed instructions are located in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
Recipe Modifications & Ingredient Swaps
- Instead of parmesan, you can try this recipe using another cheese. Feta, goat cheese, or gruyere all go well with zucchini.
- For a vegan version of this recipe, simply use a vegan alternative to parmesan/other cheese. You can also omit it completely, and perhaps try it with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast for that added cheesy flavour!
- Instead of pecans, you can use another nut, like pine nuts or walnuts. Both pair well with zucchini.
- If you’d like to throw in more veggies to this salad – feel free to add a handful of arugula or cherry tomatoes!
Can You Really Eat Zucchini Raw?
Yes! It’s totally fine to eat zucchini raw. There is also no need to remove the skin or seeds.
In this recipe, the raw zucchini is shaved super thin and then tossed in a lemon vinaigrette. While it sits in the dressing, the zucchini will become a little softer!
How To Shave Zucchini Into Ribbons
It’s super quick and easy to shave raw zucchini into ribbons. You can use either a mandoline slicer or a vegetable peeler to do this. Simply slide the zucchini along the peeler lengthwise to make ribbon-like strips.
If you don’t have access to either of these tools, you can also use a sharp chef’s knife and cut the zucchini into thin, long strips.
Can This Salad Be Made In Advance?
If you’d like to make this recipe ahead of time, I would recommend preparing the ingredients individually (i.e. making the zucchini ribbons, mixing the dressing) and storing them separately in the fridge.
Simply combine everything together when you’re ready to serve it. This will prevent the salad from getting too soggy (although I will admit that leftovers still held up pretty great!!)
What To Serve This Recipe With
Need some ideas to make this zucchini salad a full meal? I highly recommend pairing it with a yummy protein and starch to make it nutritionally-balanced.
Zucchini Nutrition Benefits
Zucchini is rich in many micronutrients, like:
- vitamin A
- vitamin C
- vitamin K
- vitamin B6
- folate
- manganese
- magnesium
- potassium
- copper
This summer squash is also a great source of dietary fibre, with one medium zucchini providing 2 grams or 8% of your daily fibre needs.
Like other fruits and veggies, zucchini is also a great source of antioxidants, especially carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin.
More Easy Zucchini Recipes
- Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Vegan Zucchini Stir Fry With Tofu
- Grilled Zucchini With Goat Cheese, Basil & Honey
- Creamy Vegan Zucchini Pesto
- Vegan Zucchini Potato Soup
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Steel Cut Oatmeal
Did you give this Raw Zucchini Salad Recipe a try? Let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below!
If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. You can also subscribe to my email list to never miss a new recipe or nutrition education post!
Get the Recipe: Raw Zucchini Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 2 large zucchinis
- 10 green olives
- 1/4 cup raw pecans
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese (I recommend Parmigiano Reggiano)
- 5 to 10 leaves fresh basil (amount varies with size of leaves)
Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 a lemon, juice only
- 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- Salt + pepper, to taste (add generously!)
Instructions
- Start by chopping off the tough ends of zucchini. Using a vegetable peeler or a mandoline, shave zucchini lengthwise into thin ribbons (I personally used a mandoline for this). Place ribbons into a large salad bowl.
- Shave parmesan cheese. Remove pits from olives and slice into quarters. Roughly chop pecans into smaller pieces. Chop fresh basil.
- Make the lemon vinaigrette by adding all dressing ingredients to a jar or bowl. Shake jar or whisk ingredients together.
- Add the prepped ingredients and pour dressing over the shaved zucchini. Toss to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste, as desired.
- You can serve this salad immediately, or allow it to chill in the fridge for ~30 mins before serving.
Notes
- Instead of parmesan, you can try this recipe using another cheese. Feta, goat cheese, or gruyere all go well with zucchini.
- For a vegan version of this recipe, simply use a vegan alternative to parmesan/other cheese. You can also omit it completely, and perhaps try it with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast for that added cheesy flavour!
- Instead of pecans, you can use another nut like, pine nuts or walnuts. Both pair well with zucchini.
- If you’d like to throw in more veggies to this salad – feel free to add a handful of arugula or cherry tomatoes!
Nutrition
As a dietitian, I create recipes with whole food ingredients that provide the nutrients needed for optimal health. My nutrition philosophy does not focus on numbers; however, I understand that this information can be helpful.
Do note that the nutrition info provided is an estimate and I cannot guarantee correctness of the displayed values. These numbers will differ depending on brands used, recipe modifications, and amount eaten. If you require specific nutrition information due to medical reasons, please consult with your dietitian or physician.
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know by leaving a recipe rating below, or by tagging @walderwellness on Instagram. I love seeing your beautiful creations!
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6 Comments on “Raw Zucchini Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette”
This salad is delicious, the leftovers are even better! I use feta cheese and definitely use fresh garlic for the dressing. Highly recommend!
Hi Susan! Thank you so much for the kind review – it’s so appreciated. I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this one and love that the leftovers held up well too!!
This recipe is fantastic! I made it for lunch one day and called my husband to say “is it weird that a food can taste so good it brings tears of gratitude to my eyes?” I’m not kidding! It is just so good and I made it again for supper that day and he loved it too. Thank you!!!
Hi Bretta! Thank you SO much for this lovely review – it’s so appreciated and was a wonderful thing to read on a Monday morning :).
I’m so happy to hear that both you and your husband enjoyed this one!!
This recipe was a hit with my friends. We got together to eat fish that one guy caught in Ketchican Alaska (salmon, cod and sea bass). They raved about this salad more than they did about the fish which was great!!.
Hi Suzanne! Aw thank you so much for taking the time to leave this kind review. I’m so flattered to hear that your friends enjoyed this salad so much!! What a delicious pairing of freshly caught fish!! Thanks again 🙂