How to Make Zucchini Ribbon Salad – Tasty Way to Use Zucchini

This zucchini ribbon salad is such a tasty way to enjoy the endless bounty of zucchini common at the height of summer. If you time it just right, you can also add fresh shelled garden peas and dill. The feta and walnuts add extra flavor and crunch.

Also Read: Grilled Zucchini, 21 Sweet & Savoury Zucchini Recipes, Summertime Green Bean and Basil Salad

This recipe came about after hunting for new and interesting ways to enjoy zucchini. It was early in the season – the zucchini were small and tender, the peas were producing well and the dill was fresh and delicious. They were bound to end up in a bowl together.

zucchini ribbon salad
Summer salad at its best.

Recipe for Zucchini Ribbon Salad

zucchini ribbon salad
Print Recipe
4.72 from 7 votes

Zucchini Ribbon Salad

A simple yet stunning salad that's a tasty no-cook way to enjoy fresh zucchini. Make it monochromatic with all green zucchini or make it colorful with yellow and green zucchini with a honey mustard dressing updated in 2023.
Prep : 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Getty Stewart

Ingredients

  • 1 small-med green zucchini
  • 1 small-med yellow zucchini
  • 1 cup uncooked shelled green peas (optional)
  • 1/4 cup walnuts or alternative (pepita, pine nuts, filberts, pecans, etc.)
  • 2 Tbsp chopped dill
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta

Lemon Vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp dijon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp fresh dill

Instructions

  • Wash zucchini well and pat dry.
  • Using a regular vegetable peeler, peel off thin strips from stem end to blossom end. To avoid too many seeds in your ribbons, rotate the zucchini when you get near the center. It's okay if ribbons are shorter or only half the width of the zucchini. Continue to make ribbons until all the zucchini are used up.
  • Loosely roll up the zucchini ribbons and place them on a shallow wide bowl, they don't have to be perfect or lined up. If using yellow and green zucchini mix them up or create a fun pattern.
  • If using, scatter shelled peas among the zucchini curls.
  • Add walnuts, dill and feta.
  • Mix all dressing ingredients in a jar, seal jar, shake well and drizzle over salad.
  • Enjoy!

Video

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 27g | Sodium: 410mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Iron: 1mg
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: feta, no lettuce salad, salad, walnuts, zucchini

 

zucchini ribbon salad in the zucchini plant
Light and refreshing salad, perfect as lunch or as a side salad for dinner.

HOW TO MAKE THE ZUCCHINI RIBBONS?

Making the zucchini ribbons is actually super easy; you’ll probably be less impressed once you see how easy!

Basically, you take a vegetable peeler – whatever kind you have in your drawer right now should do the trick. Starting from the stem end, run the peeler along the flattest side of your zucchini (it doesn’t really matter exactly where) down to the blossom end. The first peel will be all skin, use it or compost it – your call. Then repeat peeling along the same spot to make several ribbons.

making zucchini ribbons
Use a regular vegetable peeler to make ribbons.

At some point, if you’re zucchini is a little bigger, you may encounter seeds near the center. My personal preference is to avoid the seeds, so I rotate the zucchini and start peeling strips from another side. Ideally, I want some of the colorful peel on at least one side of the ribbon so I rotate the zucchini to accomplish this. Sometimes I end up with half width strips. No problem. There’s tons of room for flexibility here!

the center seedy bit of zucchini
Rotate the zucchini to avoid too many seeds. Notice there are full strips, half wide strips and seedy strips on the plate. They all work.

When you roll up the ribbons and place them on the platter, they all look great. The different sizes create nice variety.

zucchini ribbon salad with pepita
This time, I didn’t have any peas and I replace walnuts with hulled pumpkin seeds. Just as delicious!

HOW LONG WILL THIS ZUCCHINI RIBBON SALAD LAST?

This salad will last in the fridge 2-3 days.

Will you give this zucchini ribbon salad a try? If you make it, share a photo on Instagram and tag @getgettys so I can see it and like it!

Sign up to get articles by Getty delivered to your inbox. You’ll get recipes, practical tips and great food information like this. Getty is a Professional Home Economist,  speaker and writer putting good food on tables and agendas.  She is the author of Manitoba’s best-selling Prairie Fruit Cookbook, Founder of Fruit Share, a mom and veggie gardener.

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