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    Home » Recipes » Vegetarian & Vegan

    Jul 28, 2022 by Andrea· This post may contain affiliate links · 17 Comments

    Shaved Zucchini Salad

    Jump to Recipe

    This Shaved Zucchini Salad is an easy yet elegant side dish that is a perfect addition to any meal. Raw zucchini ribbons are gently marinated then garnished with toasted walnuts, feta cheese, and fresh herbs. It's perfect for summer, and will surely impress any guest or make a weeknight meal feel extra special without the effort.

    shaved zucchini salad on an oval plate with walnuts and feta on the side.

    This side dish can be made any time of year but it particularly shines when zucchini is in season. You could even make it with spiralized zucchini if you prefer that texture.

    If you are looking for more zucchini side dishes check out my Baked Zucchini Fritters and this delicious Spanish Zucchini Omelette.

    Even if you don't like zucchini I encourage you to give this recipe a try. If you have never tried marinated raw zucchini before you might be surprised!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • How to Make Zucchini Salad
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • Storage
    • Pro-Tips
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • What to Serve With This Zucchini Salad
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Ingredients

    Here's what you will need to make this recipe. As you can see, it doesn't take much to throw together an elegant side dish. For quantities see the recipe card below.

    all prepared ingredients to make zucchini salad
    • zucchini
    • extra virgin olive oil
    • white wine vinegar
    • lemon juice
    • honey
    • Dijon mustard
    • feta cheese
    • toasted walnuts
    • parsley, chives, and dill

    How to Make Zucchini Salad

    Step 1 - Using a vegetable peeler or mandoline slicer, slice the zucchini into thin ribbons and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle zucchini ribbons with ½ teaspoon of salt and toss to coat. let sit for 15 minutes to release some of the liquid. Drain.

    shaving the zucchini with a vegetable peeler.
    shaved zucchini ribbons in a glass bowl

    Step 2 - Meanwhile in a medium bowl, whisk together all the vinaigrette ingredients until combined then pour over drained zucchini ribbons.

    Step 3 - Mix together gently until all the zucchini is coated with the vinaigrette. Set aside for a minimum of 15 more minutes and up to overnight to marinate.

    vinaigrette ingredients in a white bowl.
    dressing being poured over shaved zucchini.

    Step 4 - This salad is best served cold or at room temperature. Garnish with fresh herbs, chopped, toasted walnuts, and crumbled feta cheese.

    Substitutions

    • Green zucchini - yellow zucchini has a slightly different texture and flavour but works equally well for this recipe.
    • Walnuts - any nuts can be used in place of walnuts. My top picks are slivered almonds and pistachios but you can also use pecans, hazelnuts, or pine nuts. If you are allergic to nuts, toasted pumpkin seeds would be delicious!
    • Feta cheese - I recommend crumbled goat's cheese as a substitution.
    • Parsley, dill, chives - use any combination, only one, or substitute with other fine herbs like cilantro, tarragon, basil, and mint.
      White wine vinegar - apple cider, champagne, rice, or regular white vinegar work as great substitutes.

    Variations

    • Grilled - If you prefer your zucchini cooked slice zucchini into thicker slices and grill for 1-2 minutes per side. Proceed with the recipe as written.
    • With more vegetables - You can add extra vegetables to this salad such as cherry or grape tomatoes, corn, lightly cooked or shaved, raw asparagus. Arugula would also be a great addition.
    • Add more protein - Serve this salad on a bed of cooked lentils for a light vegetarian meal. Drizzle extra dressing over the lentils.

    Storage

    This salad will keep in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 5 days. If being stored with the garnishes, the nuts will soften as it sits.

    Pro-Tips

    • To toast nuts: preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Spread nuts evenly on a tray and bake for 6-10 minutes or until you can start to smell them. Times will vary depending on the type and size of the nuts.
    • Adding the toasted nuts right before serving ensures they retain their crunch.
    finished salad garnished with fresh herbs, walnuts, and feta cheese.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Is raw zucchini healthy?

    Along with being rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants raw zucchini is also great for digestive health. It contains both soluble and insoluble fiber which can help with constipation and aid in feeding healthy gut bacteria.

    Should I peel zucchini?

    It's not necessary to peel zucchini. In fact most of the nutrients is found in the dark green skin. Be sure to wash your zucchini thoroughly before consuming.

    Can I freeze zucchini?

    Raw zucchini doesn't respond well to freezing. It will become wet and soggy once thawed. However, after cooking, or when included in a soup or casserole, zucchini can be frozen and thawed successfully.

    What to Serve With This Zucchini Salad

    • Crispy Pan Seared Salmon with Fried Caper Vinaigrette
    • sliced pork tenderloin on a dark ceramic platter with shaved asparagus salad.
      Juicy Marinated Pork Tenderloin
    • Cooked chicken kabobs on a board with dipping sauce, lime wedges, and fresh cilantro.
      Chicken Kabobs with Margarita Marinade
    • a sliced grilled flank steak with chimichurri sauce poured over it.
      Grilled Flank Steak with Salsa Verde

    Tried this recipe? I would love it if you could leave a star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and/or a comment below. You can also follow me on social media here on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!

    Want to say thank you?

    📖 Recipe

    shaved zucchini salad on an oval plate with walnuts and feta on the side.

    Shaved Zucchini Salad

    This salad is so quick and easy but also elegant at the same time. Garnished with walnuts, feta cheese, and fresh herbs gives it a Mediterranean feel.
    4.88 from 16 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
    Course: Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine: All
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 129kcal
    Author: Andrea Mut
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 4 small zucchini (1.5 lbs/600g)
    • ½ teaspoon salt to sprinkle zucchini
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
    • 4 tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
    • ½ teaspoon honey
    • 1 teaspoon Salt
    • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black Pepper
    • ¼ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
    • ¼ cup Feta cheese, crumbled
    • 1 teaspoon each finely chopped parsley, dill, and chives

    Instructions

    • Trim ends from zucchini. Shave the zucchini with a vegetable peeler or mandoline into long, thin ribbons. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and toss to coat. Let sit for 15 minutes. Drain off excess water.
    • Meanwhile, Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, salt and pepper. Drizzle over zucchini and toss gently until the zucchini ribbons are coated in the vinaigrette.
    • Let sit for 10 minutes and up to one day. Before serving arrange on a serving platter. Top with chopped fresh herbs, toasted walnuts, and feta cheese.

    Notes

    STORAGE - This salad will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 5 days. 
    Making Ahead - When making this salad in advance it's best to add the nuts just before serving. Everything else can be added ahead of time but the nuts tend to get very soft after sitting in the marinade for a longer time. 
    Nutrition Facts - Please note that these calculations are an estimate only and have not been approved by a registered dietitian. I use an online nutritional calculator from My Fitness Pal to calculate the numbers. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 129kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 462mg | Potassium: 244mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g
    Tried this recipe?Mention @MyPocketKitchen or tag #mypocketkitchen!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.88 from 16 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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    1. Beatrice Schori says

      July 31, 2024 at 11:29 pm

      5 stars
      This is a game changer. Everybody loved the salad and of course it is super healthy. Thank you for the recipe.

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      • Andrea says

        August 06, 2024 at 7:51 pm

        My pleasure! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!

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    2. Heather says

      June 07, 2023 at 11:24 am

      5 stars
      Pretty salad and another way to use zucchini. We grow ours so when the plant starts producing it’s nice to have several variations to eat it all.

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      • Andrea says

        June 07, 2023 at 5:37 pm

        If you grow zucchini you can never have enough recipes to use it up! So happy you enjoyed it 🤗

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    3. Beatrice Schori says

      June 06, 2023 at 2:40 pm

      5 stars
      It turned out absolutely delicious. I left it in the marinade for 2 hours.
      Thank you for this great recipe.

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      • Andrea says

        June 06, 2023 at 5:30 pm

        I'm so happy you enjoyed it Beatrice. Thanks so much for commenting!

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    4. Sue Cratchley says

      June 05, 2023 at 1:42 pm

      5 stars
      Another delicious recipe Thank you so much Andrea. You have over the last couple of years changed my way of cooking. Love it all

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      • Andrea says

        June 05, 2023 at 4:35 pm

        I absolutely love hearing that! Thanks so much for the comment. 🤗

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    5. Jean says

      August 14, 2022 at 9:21 am

      Fantastic new addition to my salad recipe list

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    6. Beatrice Schori says

      August 13, 2022 at 1:20 pm

      5 stars
      Very delicious. Excellent for Sunday brunch.
      Thank you.

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      • Andrea says

        August 13, 2022 at 4:04 pm

        Perfect! So happy you enjoyed it!

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    7. Sue Barrett says

      August 13, 2022 at 11:30 am

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicious!! Thanks for this easy, awesome summer salad.

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      • Andrea says

        August 13, 2022 at 4:04 pm

        My pleasure! So happy you enjoyed it and thanks for commenting!

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    8. Liz McIntosh says

      August 12, 2022 at 6:42 am

      5 stars
      I made this salad. Loved it. I used goat cheese. I will be making this again.

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      • Andrea says

        August 12, 2022 at 8:30 am

        Goat cheese is so perfect for this salad! So happy you enjoyed it!

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    9. Rose says

      July 30, 2022 at 11:11 am

      4 stars
      I used my mandolin slicer to thinly slice the zucchini lengthwise. I found the dressing a little watery (maybe due to zucchini water content?). Feta and roasted nuts were a nice touch. Good way to use zucchini bumper crop !

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      • Andrea says

        July 30, 2022 at 3:39 pm

        Hi Rose! The water content of the zucchini can make a difference. Next time you can sprinkle the shaved zucchini with salt and let sit for 15 mins or so to release some of the water before tossing in the vinaigrette. I will make a note in the recipe! Happy you enjoyed it and thanks for commenting!

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    Andrea from My Pocket Kitchen

    Hello and welcome to My Pocket Kitchen! I'm Andrea, a professionally trained Chef & Pastry Chef . Here you will find easy, step by step recipes that are packed with wholesome, nutrient rich ingredients. Hope you have fun! Read More…

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