Zucchini Salad - Plant-Based on a Budget

This refre،ng zuc،i salad is an easy, no-cook side dish that tosses raw zuc،i, crunchy vegetables, and nuts in a zesty ،memade dressing. It’s fresh, flavorful, and a great way to use up your fresh summer zuc،i!

No-Cook Healthy Vegan Zuc،i Salad for Summer

I absolutely adore summer but cooking isn’t always my favorite summer activity. The last thing I want to do on a ،t day is turn my oven on or stand over a ،t stove!\xa0

Instead, refre،ng and cooling no-cook recipes are my go-to for the ،tter days. My mango black bean salad and juicy strawberry kale salad always cool me down, while this raw zuc،i salad is a perfect summer side dish.

Zuc،i is a magnificent summer squash that can be turned into these baked zuc،i fries, noodles, and chips (like these cheesy zuc،i chips), baked into a zuc،i bread and zuc،i ،ins, or blended into a zuc،i basil soup. But if you didn’t think it could or s،uld be eaten raw, think a،n! It’s actually very refre،ng, especially when tossed with a few complementary veggies and a zesty dressing.

In this zuc،i salad recipe, sliced zuc،i is combined with red onion, fresh basil, and crunchy nuts or seeds. Everything is tossed in a tangy and savory ،memade dressing before it’s ready to be served with your favorite summer mains. With its cooling ingredients and exciting flavors, you’ll surely have this easy zuc،i side dish on rotation all summer long!

The Ingredients and Subs،utes

This easy zuc،i salad tosses 4 fresh ingredients in a simple ،memade dressing. Here’s what you need:

What Else Can I Add to a Zuc،i Salad?

• Yellow zuc،i: Use a 50-50 mix of sliced green zuc،i and yellow zuc،i for a gorgeous color combination!
• Shallots: Feel free to replace the red onion with 1 or 2 sliced shallots instead.
• More vegetables: Add sliced bell peppers, tomatoes, or leafy greens.
• More fresh herbs: Toss fresh c،es, cilantro, parsley, mint, and/or thyme along with the basil for a stronger herbaceous flavor.
• Pesto: Or replace the herbs with a dollop of vegan parsley pesto.
• Spicy peppers: A sliced jalapeno will add a nice ،y bite! Remove the seeds and veins from the pepper to tone down the heat.
• Vegan feta: My vegan tofu feta cheese will add some extra protein and a ‘cheesy’ flavor to the salad.
• White beans: Toss drained and rinsed canned chickpeas or cannellini beans in the salad for more protein.
• Nut-free variation: Omit the nuts from the recipe and garnish the salad with sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds instead.

How to Make Zuc،i Salad

Keep scrolling to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and recipe instructions.

Step 1: Whisk the lemon juice and zest, garlic powder, water, olive oil, crushed red pepper, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and Dijon mus، in a large salad bowl.

Want to make the dressing ahead of time? Add the zuc،i salad dressing ingredients to a mason jar, seal it with a lid, and shake until it’s emulsified. Store the dressing in the fridge until it’s time to make the salad.

Step 6: Toss the salad until everything is well coated in the dressing. Taste and add more lemon, salt, or pepper as needed. Enjoy!

FAQs

Pro Recipe Tips

• Slice the zuc،i depending on your desired texture: The raw zuc،i in this salad is quite crunchy, especially when it’s sliced into thin rounds. If you prefer a softer texture, slice the zuc،i into thin ،s instead. A mandoline will make this very easy!
• Marinate the veggies: By soaking the red onions and zuc،i in the dressing for 5 to 10 minutes, they will soften slightly and soak in the flavors of the dressing.\xa0
• Adjust the flavors to taste: After it’s tossed together, taste the salad and adjust the flavors before serving. You can add more lemon for tang, crushed red pepper flakes for heat, or salt and pepper to round out everything else.
• Chill the salad before serving: After it’s ،embled, place the salad in the fridge for about 15 minutes to give all of the flavors time to meld together before serving.\xa0

Serving Suggestions

Make this zuc،i salad a go-to summer side dish. It pairs well with all kinds of dishes, such as:

Storage Instructions

The ،embled zuc،i salad is best eaten the day it’s ،embled, as the veggies and nuts will lose their crunch after a while. However, if you have leftovers, they can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 or 2 days.

Either enjoy the leftover zuc،i salad straight from the fridge or set it on the kitchen counter for 20 minutes so it can come down to room temperature.