This raw zucchini salad with tomatoes and feta cheese is the perfect way to get fresh, seasonal ingredients onto your plate. I love finishing this salad with fresh basil and lemon zest, to create flavors that explode in your mouth.
If you have a garden and you live in the garden state (aka New Jersey) there’s a good chance you have an abundance of tomatoes and zucchini getting ready to flood your kitchen.
Working with fresh, seasonal ingredients is one of the best ways to create dishes that are both insanely delicious and super nutritious.
And remember, what grows together, goes together. So any ingredients that grow in the same season, will absolutely taste great together. That’s just the way mother nature designed it.
Is It Safe To Eat Raw Zucchini?
If you love raw zucchini, I have great news for you! It’s 100% safe to eat zucchini raw. Not only is it safe, it’s also really good for you.
Raw zucchini makes a great snack. Sometimes, I’ll slice my zucchini into rounds and then serve them alongside hummus or guacamole in place of crackers or chips.
Because zucchinis hold a lot of water, they make a super refreshing snack and also taste great in raw salads, just like this one.
A Few Tips for Working with Raw Zucchini
- Trim off the ends. The ends can be tough and bitter, so be sure to cut them off.
- Buy in season. You want your zucchini to be young, fresh and tender and the best way to ensure this is to buy in season.
- Cut it thin. Cut the squash as thin as you possibly can. You can easily do this with a good sharp knife. Keeping them thin will ensure that the zucchini soaks up all the flavors.
- Keep them at room temperature. You will get the most flavor from your zucchini when they are at room temperature (this is true of most summer produce). When you eat fresh, delicate flavors cold from the fridge you lose a lot of their flavor.
How To Make Zucchini and Tomato Salad
Making this zucchini and tomato salad is about as easy as it gets. Just be sure to use a nice sharp knife to cut your veggies. This will make your life a whole lot easier!
- Start by slicing the zucchini super thin. If you have a manoline, you can use it. But I prefer a sharp knife.
- Cut tomatoes in half. You can also do quarters if they are a bit larger.
- Add sliced zucchini and tomatoes into a large bowl.
- Season with lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, feta cheese, salt and pepper. Gently mix together.
- Finish with lemon zest, fresh basil and an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
- Serve and enjoy!
More Simple Clean & Delicious Salad Ideas
- Arugula + Beet Salad
- Artichoke, Asparagus + Green Bean Salad
- Caesar Salad with Roasted Chickpeas
- Black Bean, Corn + Avocado Salad
Zucchini Salad with Feta and Tomatoes
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time:20 minutes
Cook Time:0 minutes
Total Time:20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- zest of one lemon
- juice from one lemon (3 tablespoons)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (extra for drizzling)
- 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 10 basil leaves, rolled and sliced
Directions:
- Use a sharp knife to slice the zucchini super thin. If you have a manoline, you can use that.
- Add sliced zucchini to a large bowl and toss in sliced tomatoes, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, feta cheese, salt and pepper. Gently mix together.
- Finish with lemon zest, fresh basil and an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve and enjoy!
NUTRIENTS PER SERVING (1/4th of recipe): Calories 114 | Total Fat 8.6g | Saturated Fat 1.6g | Cholesterol 2mg | Sodium 221mg | Carbohydrate 9.3g | Dietary Fiber 2.3g | Sugars 5.7g | Protein 2.9g
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com
August 9, 2011 at 9:09 amThat looks so delicious Dani! I love summer for its salads, and raw is the best way to enjoy delicious summer produce 🙂
Dani
August 10, 2011 at 8:07 pmI love Summer for its salads too! They just seem to beg to make it onto the daily menu!
Maria Makes Muffins
August 9, 2011 at 10:12 amThis salad looks lovel. I never would have thought to use raw summer squash. What a great idea. Thanks for sharing!
Dani
August 10, 2011 at 8:03 pmI know! I just learned about it myself… hope you enjoy!
Jaimie Edmunds
August 10, 2011 at 7:27 amI would never have thought to use raw summer squash either. My children have just started to like squash so I’ll have to add this to the rotation. Thanks!
Dani
August 10, 2011 at 8:04 pmHope the little ones enjoy! My 2 year old took one bite wasn’t on board for more than that:)
Lindy
August 10, 2011 at 8:54 amAnother way you might want to prepare the Summer Squash is to use your vegetable peeler, running in down the length of the veg to make thin, long ribbons.
Dani
August 10, 2011 at 8:05 pmGreat tip! Thanks Lindy!
Aggie
August 10, 2011 at 9:17 amThis looks so so delicious. I love that it’s raw, I love that it has feta! Simple and so good for you!
Dani
August 10, 2011 at 8:06 pmI’m a feta freak… feta makes it betta;)
Elizabeth @ Saffron Lane
August 10, 2011 at 2:39 pmLovely recipe! My garden is bursting with zucchini and heirloom tomatoes right now and eating them raw is one of my absolute favorite preparations. A little roughly chopped mint would also be great here, I’ll bet.
Karen D.
August 10, 2011 at 8:24 pmI love to make raw zucchini in julienne strips – I use a mandoline with a julienne cutter to make spaghetti like strips. I mix tomatoes, finely minced walnuts, olive oil, basil, salt, pepper and a little garlic together and let sit for 20 minutes. The juice from the tomatoes will mix with the olive oil to make a lovely dressing. Pour over the zucchini spaghetti – yum. Sometimes I add grill chicken on top or cannolini beans.
Dani
August 14, 2011 at 7:37 pmUmmmm…. that sounds AMAZING!! Thanks for sharing… I’ll definitely give this a try!
Nicole GW
August 13, 2011 at 3:43 pmMade this tonight. Delicious!!!! However, I got lazy and through some Brianna’s French vinaigrette over it with a little fresh pepper. Thanks again, Dani
Dani
August 14, 2011 at 7:38 pmHey, whatever works! Good to know there’s a short cut method too;)
Kelli
August 18, 2011 at 9:04 amI just had the leftovers in a whole wheat mini-pita. The perfect afternoon snack! Thanks, Dani 🙂
Cara
September 6, 2011 at 6:06 pmDani, I somehow missed the launch of your new site! It looks wonderful! As does this recipe 🙂
ALF
June 24, 2012 at 5:41 pmI made this for a neighborhood get together to help use up my surplus squash supply. I even doubled the recipe and the bowl came home empty! I used lemon thyme from my garden instead of basil, added corn because I had some handy (steamed and cut off the cob), and the zest of one lemon finely chopped. Thank you for a delicious, healthy, beautiful recipe!
Tammy
August 13, 2014 at 11:11 amHi I love your videos on YouTube. I have been trying them on order to get my children to eat more vegetables and most of the recipes work :). I was wondering can I dried Basil instead of fresh and how much Thanks.
Dani
August 15, 2014 at 10:01 pmyou can but its definitely not the same, especially in such a fresh salad like this one! Feel free to skip it all together…. salad would still be delish.