Zucchini Salad

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my zucchini salad recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

• Zucchini – Yes, you can eat zucchini raw in salad! Small to medium-sized ones are ideal because they’re less watery, a little sweeter, and have fewer seeds. You can also use yellow summer squash or even cucumber noodles instead of green zucchini. (And if you have extra squash to use up, make my zucchini soup!)
• Cherry Tomatoes – I’ve also done this with grape tomatoes, or you can dice larger tomatoes.
• Cooked Bacon – I usually make air-fried bacon for this zucchini salad recipe, because it’s the fastest, but oven bacon, a quick fry on the stovetop, or even microwaved bacon works. You can also use turkey bacon for a lighter option, or even bacon bits for a no-cook shortcut!
• Shaved Parmesan Cheese – I love using shaved parmesan here because it adds the best texture, but shredded works great, too. For something different, try crumbled feta cheese, goat cheese, fresh mozzarella pearls (for Caprese salad vibes), or even burrata. You can also just leave the cheese out for a dairy-free version.
• Pine Nuts – These add the best nutty crunch and go so well with the parmesan (I use the same combo in my arugula salad, too.) You can swap in chopped walnuts, slivered almonds, or pecans, or for a nut-free option, use pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
• Fresh Basil – For a fresh, herby finish. Feel free to swap in parsley or chives.
• Lemon Dressing – The dressing is a lot like my lemon vinaigrette. You could totally use that for this zucchini salad, but this version is a little more basic: just extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. You can swap in avocado oil if you prefer a more neutral flavor.

How To Make Zucchini Salad

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. Make zucchini noodles. Use a spiralizer to spiralize the zucchini, or slice into thin ribbons using a mandoline or vegetable peeler. Pat dry with paper towels.
2. Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper until emulsified.

3. Assemble the salad. In a large bowl or platter, combine the zucchini noodles, halved cherry tomatoes, cooked bacon, shaved parmesan, and pine nuts.
4. Finish & serve. Pour the dressing over the zucchini salad and toss to coat. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste. I like to sprinkle it with fresh basil right before serving.

The Best Way To Cut Zucchini For Salad

You can make this zucchini salad with either zucchini noodles or ribbons. I’ve tested both. Here’s how to decide:

• Zucchini noodles are my go-to when I want a cold pasta salad feel. They’re faster to make (if you have a spiralizer), and more fun to twirl around a fork.
• Zucchini ribbons feel more elegant and are easier to make without a spiralizer. Just use a vegetable peeler (this is my favorite — so sharp!) to shave thin strips from the zucchini, although I usually prefer to use my mandoline. They taste best very thin, though, and I find that makes them soften faster than zoodles.
• Slices or half moons are the simplest, similar to how you’d cut cucumbers for a cucumber salad. They don’t require any special tools, just a knife, but they’re my least favorite texture for a zucchini salad.

Most of my pictures in this post are made with zucchini noodles, but below is a picture of one I made with zucchini ribbons, to give you an idea of how they should look. Notice they’re very thin, so they fold nicely!

Serving Ideas

I make this zucchini salad most often as a summer side dish, but it’s flexible enough for everything from quick lunches to cookouts. I like pairing it with mains that either match the fresh flavor or balance it with something richer:

• Grilled Mains – These bright, fresh flavors are the perfect contrast to smoky grilled chicken legs, grilled pork chops, grilled steak, or even a simple hamburger. When I want to get a little fancy, I love making grilled lobster tail or shrimp skewers.
• Seafood Dinner – Seafood says “light, elegant dinner”, and so does this raw zucchini salad. I love it with baked salmon, shrimp scampi, or most recently, Mediterranean-inspired barramundi. These also go nicely right on top of the salad itself!
• Italian-inspired Vibes – Try my chicken Florentine, sausage and peppers, veal scallopini, or if you’ve really got zucchini overload, zucchini ravioli.
• No-cook Summer Meal – Add a protein (think leftover chicken, deli turkey, or hard or soft boiled eggs), maybe some avocado, and call it lunch (or even dinner).