It’s easy to forget how delicious raw zucchini can be, especially because it’s so sponge-like and absorbs so many flavors easily. This raw zucchini salad is such a delicious way to enjoy a healthy raw vegetable, and it’s so easy to whip up in only 10 minutes! The star tool of this recipe is a vegetable peeler, which you can use to easily make the zucchini ribbons and the gorgeous shaved parmesan cheese. And my favorite part of this recipe has to be the bright lemony dressing- a simple lemon vinaigrette made creamy and emulsified with just a little bit of mayo.
How to make zucchini ribbons
It could not be easier to make zucchini ribbons- all you need is a vegetable peeler! The first cut will just be the peel. The second, third, and fourth cuts will be gorgeous, perfect ribbons, with green edges and white insides. And as you rotate and keep cutting, the ribbons will be all white. Which brings me to my point about the seeds. When you try and cut ribbons from the seeds in the center of the zucchini, you’ll notice the texture is different and the ribbons don’t look as nice. I personally did NOT cut the seed part of the zucchini into ribbons. Instead, I saved them to chop up and use in another recipe- I like adding them to scrambled eggs or throwing them in soup. But you can definitely use the center for the ribbons! You’ll end up with a gorgeous mix of ribbons of all different sizes and colors.
Can you use yellow summer squash ribbons for this?
Absolutely! To me, summer squash and zucchini are two peas in a pod, and are interchangeable in almost any recipe. Go ahead and use summer squash instead of, or in addition to, zucchini. The yellow and green colors together would be gorgeous in this ribbon salad.
How to make zucchini ribbon salad
Once you have the zucchini ribbons made, this salad takes only a few minutes to throw together. Just whisk a little bit of mayonnaise with some lemon juice, salt, and pepper in the bottom of a large bowl. Then, slowly drizzle in extra-virgin olive oil as you continue to whisk. The result should be a perfectly emulsified, slightly creamy dressing. Then, toss the zucchini ribbons into the dressing.
Arrange the ribbons on a serving platter (if you’re feeling fancy- you can also just leave them in the bowl!) and top with some parmesan shavings and toasted pine nuts. I made my own shaved parmesan with the same vegetable peeler I used for the zucchini ribbons. And I toasted my pine nuts in a dry skillet for just a few minutes. But you should be able to buy both already prepared at the store, and you can use plain pine nuts instead of toasting them, too.
Are zucchini ribbons the same as zucchini noodles?
Kind of! You can certainly use zucchini ribbons in the same way as you use zucchini noodles. They’re just a little wider, like pappardelle instead of spaghetti. These zucchini ribbons are great raw in this salad, but also can be sautéed or baked into a lasagna.
Other delicious zucchini recipes
Sweet Corn and Zucchini Risotto Healthy Zucchini Muffins Shrimp and Zucchini Fritters with Yogurt Sauce Easy Zucchini Quiche Mexican Roasted Zucchini Teriyaki Salmon and Zucchini Noodle Bowl Zucchini and Corn Tacos with Fresh Guacamole Zucchini Butter and Turkey Roll-Ups Paleo Greek Stuffed Zucchini Boats
And be sure to check out all my salad recipes! Did you make this Zucchini Ribbon Salad? Please comment below and Rate this Recipe!
