Mediterranean Zucchini Salad
A bright and colorful salad using in-season summer veggies, green olives, herbs, and feta cheese. Tossed with a simple lemony Dijon dressing for a healthy and delicious side dish.
I don’t think I’m quite ready to give up our warm sunny days, but I do love the bounty of fresh produce when we hit the late summer months.
I decided not to have a garden this year and I’ve really missed it. Although, not having to babysit and water my beds for a change was kind of nice too! Good news is, we have plenty of local farm stands (which I probably visit way too much) so we’ve been able to get our hands on all kinds of fresh fruits and veggies.
Mediterranean Zucchini Salad is a raw veggie salad, which is why I recommend end-of-the-summer veggies. When you use produce that’s in-season, it lasts longer, has more flavor, and provides more nutrients.
This salad uses fresh zucchini, corn, and tomatoes. Zucchini and tomatoes especially, seem to be veggies most people have an abundance of when the season starts to die down; why not use the extras for a great side dish like this!
Note: If you’ve never had uncooked zucchini before, you are missing out. Zucchini is naturally tender with a mild flavor, so it’s perfect to use in salads and with your favorite dips.
To give this salad it’s Greek taste, I make a simple lemony Dijon dressing, and toss in salty green olives and creamy feta cheese. Every bite has the perfect balance of Mediterranean flavors.
Ingredients For Mediterranean Zucchini Salad:
- Fresh zucchini
- Corn (preferably fresh off the cob)
- Celery
- Red onion
- Green olives
- Fresh tomatoes
- Italian parsley
- Feta cheese (I use basil and herbs)
Ingredients For Lemon Dijon Dressing:
- Avocado or olive oil
- Dijon mustard
- Agave nectar
- Seasoned rice vinegar (white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar also work)
- Lemon juice
- Italian seasoning
- Salt & pepper
Additional Add-ins or Substitutes:
- Cucumbers- This can be in-addition or in place of the zucchini. Although, zucchini holds up nicely and wont fall flat even after a day in the fridge.
- Bell peppers- Red, yellow, and orange work best for this recipe. They are mild in flavor and offer a pop of crunch and color.
- Minced garlic- Add one minced clove to the dressing for a subtle garlic flavor.
- Parmesan cheese- If you don’t like feta cheese, parmesan is a nice substitute. Shaved or small chunks blend well with the salad.
- Chickpeas- Add in 1 can of drained and rinsed chickpeas (garbanzo beans) for texture and a boost of protein. The legumes make it filling and more like a complete meal.
- Pine nuts- Toasted pine nuts are wonderful in this salad and really elevate the flavor and texture.
- Kalamata olives- I happen to like green olives better, but you can use kalamata, or even black olives.
This salad is easily customizable. If you have extra veggies in your fridge that you think would be great, add those in and make it your own! Celery is not your traditional Greek veggie but I love the crunch it adds so I used it!
How to make Mediterranean Zucchini Salad:
- Add all of your prepared veggies, olives (and chickpeas if using) to a large bowl.
- Crumble feta cheese over the top. If using parmesan add shaved or small chunks.
- Mix all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Taste for seasonings, then pour over the top of the veggies.
- Gently toss until the ingredients are well coated.
- Add nuts to the top if using.
- Serve immediately or place in fridge until ready to eat.
Can I Make This in advance?
I find this salad to be best the same day because the veggies have the most crunch, but we still enjoy this up to two days after. If you’re making this for a special dinner party or luncheon, I would recommend making it 2 hours before the event so the flavors have time to marry and the veggies are still nice and crisp.
Other Salads You Might Enjoy:
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Mediterranean Zucchini Salad
Ingredients
Salad ingredients:
- 4 cups zucchini sliced in 1/4 inch moon shapes, about 2 large zucchini
- 1 1/2 cups corn, fresh off the cob, about 1 cob
- 3/4 cup celery sliced thin, about 2 large sticks
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1/2 cup sliced green olives I use pimento stuffed
- 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes halved cherry tomatoes work great
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1/4-1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled I like tomato basil feta cheese- see recipe notes for cheese substitutes
Dressing ingredients:
- 1/4 cup avocado or olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp agave nectar or honey
- 1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar white or red wine vinegar will work
- 1 small lemon, juiced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the dressing
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a small bowl or mason jar with fitted lid, and whisk or shake until combined. Taste for seasoning and set aside until ready to use.
Assemble salad
- Add prepared veggies and olives to a large bowl and top with feta cheese. Pour over all the dressing and toss gently until veggies are coated well. Refrigerate 1-2 hours before serving.
Notes
- Cucumbers- This can be in-addition or in place of the zucchini. Although, zucchini holds up nicely and wont fall flat even after a day in the fridge.
- Bell peppers- Red, yellow, and orange work best for this recipe. They are mild in flavor and offer a pop of crunch and color.
- Minced garlic- Add one minced clove to the dressing for a subtle garlic flavor.
- Parmesan cheese- If you don’t like feta cheese, parmesan is a nice substitute. Shaved or small chunks blend well with the salad.
- Chickpeas- Add in 1 can of drained and rinsed chickpeas (garbanzo beans) for texture and a boost of protein. The legumes make it filling and more like a complete meal.
- Pine nuts- Toasted pine nuts are wonderful in this salad and really elevate the flavor and texture.
- Kalamata olives- I happen to like green olives better, but you can use kalamata, or even black olives.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 5 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories 135 | |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 5.6g | 7% |
| Saturated Fat 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol 7mg | 2% |
| Sodium 524mg | 23% |
| Total Carbohydrate 19.1g | 7% |
| Dietary Fiber 3.9g | 14% |
| Total Sugars 7g | |
| Protein 4.9g | |
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% |
| Calcium 65mg | 5% |
| Iron 2mg | 10% |
| Potassium 601mg | 13% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
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