Raw Zucchini Salad with Lemon and Parmesan
Easy and delicious, fresh raw zucchini makes one of the best salad recipes. You can grate, shred, or slice them into matchsticks or noodle shapes to make a lighter version of Italian pasta salad. Toss with fresh-squeezed lemon, toasted walnuts, garlic, and Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini about 8 ounces each
- ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- Flaky sea salt or kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon grated or finely chopped garlic
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice to taste
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest
- ⅓ cup (35 g) walnuts toasted* and roughly chopped
- ½-1 teaspoon red chili flakes to taste
- ½ cup fresh herb leaves such as Italian parsley and basil, torn into pieces
- ½ cup shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Trim the ends of the zucchini and cut into noodles, ribbons or matchsticks using a knife, spiralizer or vegetable peeler.
- Put the zucchini in a large bowl and pour the olive oil over. Toss gently to coat the strands, then season with salt to taste (I usually add ½-1 teaspoon).
- Add the garlic, lemon juice, zest, walnuts, and chili flakes and toss again.
- Top the bowl with the herbs and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top.
Notes
- To toast walnuts: Arrange on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes in a 350-degree oven, or in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat until lightly golden.
- Keep in mind that if you are using a spiralizer to make zucchini noodles, the strands will be very long. Trim them into manageable lengths with kitchen scissors before serving.
- Zucchini starts releasing water (and gets soggy) as soon as you add salt and acid, so toss the noodles just before serving.
- Zucchini noodles keep fresh for days (without sauce or seasoning). A great make-ahead tip is to form the noodles and keep them in a covered container until you need them.
Nutrition
Calories: 228kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 7gFat: 21gSodium: 15mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1g
