Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This light, flavorful zucchini noodle salad is quick to prepare and filling enough to be a vegetarian main or a bright side dish. It’s easy to make whether you have a spiralizer or not.
How long it takes: 15 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: spiralizer or knife
Servings: 6
Zucchini Love
Fresh zucchini is abundant in summer and makes a wonderful base for salads. When the farm stand down the road had a great produce selection, I picked up zucchini and summer squash along with peaches, cabbage and peppers. That bounty inspired this quick zucchini noodle salad the same day.
I enjoyed a bowl for lunch — a reminder that this salad is not only healthy and simple to assemble, but also satisfying enough to eat on its own.
Fresh zucchini noodle salad
Hearty enough for a meal. Cannellini beans and crumbled feta add protein and creaminess, turning this into a satisfying main-course salad. It also works beautifully as a side for picnics or barbecues.
Bright, fresh flavors. Lemon juice, mint and parsley keep the salad bright and refreshing. Tomatoes add sweetness and texture. If you prefer, swap or add dill, basil, oregano or chives — use whatever fresh herbs you have on hand.
Versatile. I like combining zucchini and yellow summer squash for color, but you can use two zucchini, two summer squash, or any thin-skinned summer squash you prefer.
Pro tip: Spiralized noodles can be very long. Trim them with kitchen scissors to make the salad easier to toss and eat.
Recipe Tip
Substitute other beans if you like — great northern beans, chickpeas, or shelled edamame work well in place of cannellini beans.
Don’t have a spiralizer?
No problem. Use a vegetable peeler to shave the zucchini into thin ribbons, slice thinly with a mandoline, or cut into thin strips or small cubes with a sharp knife. Any of these methods will produce a tasty salad — you may just call it a zucchini ribbon or chopped salad instead of “noodles.”
Storage
Refrigerate: Keep the salad in a covered container for up to three days. Stir well before serving to redistribute the dressing and flavors.
More Summer Salads
Cucumber Ribbon Salad with Yogurt Herb Dressing
Tortellini Pasta Salad
Dill Potato Salad
Chopped Greek Salad
Zucchini Noodle Salad with Beans, Feta, and Lemon
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 2 medium to large zucchini, spiralized to a spaghetti-like size
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup crumbled feta (or fresh mozzarella)
- ½ cup minced fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
Instructions
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In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and red pepper flakes.
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Add the zucchini noodles, halved tomatoes, beans, feta, parsley, and mint. Stir gently to combine so all ingredients are lightly coated in the dressing.
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Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or red pepper flakes as desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate in a covered container.
Notes
- Zucchini: Yellow summer squash can replace or be mixed with zucchini for color. Any thin-skinned summer squash works well.
- No spiralizer? Use a vegetable peeler to create ribbons, a mandoline to slice thinly, or cut into strips or cubes with a knife.
- Herbs: Swap mint and parsley for other fresh herbs like dill, basil, oregano or chives. Avoid dried herbs for this salad to keep flavors bright.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.