Fresh and light, this unusual Mediterranean style courgette salad makes an unusual addition to a summer spread. Tasty and stylish, it is easy to make and a great way to make the most of an abundant harvest.
Courgette salad
Courgettes or zucchini are rarely served raw in this country but they are delicious in this fresh Mediterranean style salad.
See also
- slow cooker courgette soup, delicious hot or chilled
- for a simple comfort food supper, try courgette and red lentil daal
Elegantly simple, it consists of thin strips of courgette in a delicious lemon dressing and a scattering of fresh green herbs. Serve it as a side dish to a summer quiche, with a barbecue or as part of a mezze spread with Greek or Italian flavours.
Courgettes grow abundantly in high summer, making them an affordable option in so many warm weather recipes. If you grow them at home, you will know that you only have to turn your back on them to be left with a huge glut.
They do have a better texture when picked young, however, so I do recommend using small fruits for this courgette salad.
Make the dressing half an hour before you want to make the salad up. It benefits from a little time to infuse.
Why make courgette salad
- so simple and easy
- fresh, zesty and delicious
- refreshingly unusual
- affordable but impressive
Courgette salad ingredients
- Courgette – choose modest sized courgettes/zucchini for this salad, as you want them to have plenty of flavour and a thin skin. Too small and there will be too much skin to flesh, and too big they will be watery and not have much flavour.
- Lemon dressing – quick and easy to make with lemon, olive oil, mustard, honey (use maple or agave syrup if you are vegan) and a little seasoning – I’ll walk you through below – or use my recipe for lemon dressing.
- Fresh herbs – I like parsley but mint, coriander or dill would also work well
- Black pepper – grind it fresh!
Courgette vs Zucchini vs Marrow
Courgette and zucchini are the same thing – immature fruits of a type of summer squash that have not yet formed seeds. Leave them long enough and they become vegetable marrows.
In British English we use the French term, courgette, while North American English uses a variation on the Italian. Courgette salad or zucchini salad, it’s all the same.
How to make courgette salad – step by step
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step One – Start by washing and trimming the courgettes. Pare fine ribbons of courgette using a vegetable peeler or a mini mandolin – I have a small inexpensive hand held one – but please ALWAYS use the finger guard!
Helen’s Pro Tip
If you want to make the salad ahead of time, sprinkle a little salt over the courgette ribbons and set them in a colander to drain for a few minutes. The salt will draw out some of the water. Then give the courgette ribbons a squeeze and pat dry.
You can skip this if you are serving immediately, unless you are using large courgettes – then you will probably need to salt them.
Step Two – Chop the herbs. I find the best way to do this is to put the leaves in a mug and then snip them with a pair of sharp kitchen scissors. You do not need those multi bladed herb scissors.
This avoids getting scraps of leaf all over your kitchen, minimizing waste and mess
Step Three – Make the dressing up in the bowl by putting the lemon juice and olive oil, lemon zest, honey, mustard and seasoning in and mixing together before adding the remaining ingredients.
If you have lemon dressing already made up, simply put it in the bowl, add the courgettes, most of the parsley and pepper, and then toss the courgettes in the dressing. Reserve some of the herbs for garnish.
Step Four – Transfer the salad to a serving plate. Arrange the courgette ribbons to give them some height for attractive presentation. Garnish with extra herbs and lemon wedges to serve.
Serving suggestion
This delicious courgette or zucchini salad is delicious as part of a Mediterranean salad spread, as a simple starter or alongside a quiche, chilled fish dishes, grilled or fried halloumi or barbecue dishes.
Sprinkle it with a little feta cheese, crumbled goat’s cheese or ricotta for a more substantial dish that makes a lovely light lunch.
Variations
- Vary the herbs to taste. Try mint, coriander or dill, or a mixture.
- Add a little crushed garlic to the dressing if you like a stronger flavour.
- Top with toasted pine kernels for a contrasting crunch.
- Use yellow courgettes or a mixture for a different visual effect.
Storage
Fridge – You can store this courgette/zucchini salad in the fridge for up to two days. If it has been in the fridge for a while, pour off any excess liquid and give it an extra squeeze of lemon juice before serving.
Hints and tips
- Smaller courgettes are better. Choose one medium or two small courgettes for this recipe but avoid large overgrown fruit.
- A mini handheld mandolin slicer is fairly inexpensive and works so well. Just PLEASE use the finger guard! I have the OXO Good Grips one and It is sharp, fits in a drawer and is easy to wash. You do not need a fancy version in a domestic kitchen.
Courgette and Lime Salad
For a twist make this as a courgette and lime salad. Simply swap the lemon juice for lime!
FAQs
Yes, it is easy to substitute a little light maple syrup for the honey in the dressing, leaving you with an entirely plant based salad.
Yes! Most vegetables are safe to eat raw, though there are some notable exceptions like kidney beans. Courgettes are absolutely fine.
If courgettes are bitter beyond a faint hint that normally comes with raw vegetables, don’t eat them! If you are getting that extreme bitter taste it is not because your courgettes are raw.
Natural compounds called cucurbitacins can collect to excess in courgettes that have grown in drought conditions or been cross pollinated with ornamental gourds. Every few years are are reports of a bad batch of seeds.
It’s rare (vanishingly rare in commercially grown squash and seeds) but can cause food poisoning, so dump any bitter courgettes. You certainly won’t want to eat them tasting like that!
More great salad recipes
- Carrot salad – the French bistro classic
- Greek orzo salad – a delicious Mediterranean pasta salad
- Parma ham salad with figs and green beans – an elegant Italian main course salad
- Radicchio, asparagus and burrata salad – one of my favourites, stylish and delicious
- Explore more salad recipes
Courgette Salad (Zucchini Salad)
Ingredients
- 1 courgette (1 medium or 2 small)
- 1 handful parsley, mint or your favourite green herbs
- freshly ground black pepper
For the dressing
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (fresh squeezed)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp mustard
- ¼ tsp honey
Instructions
- Start by washing and trimming the courgettes. Pare fine ribbons of courgette using a vegetable peeler. If you are preparing the salad for later, salt, drain and squeeze the courgettes.1 courgette
- Chop the herbs. I find the best way to do this is to put the leves in amug and then snip them with a pair of sharp kitchen scissors. This avoids getting scraps of leaf all over your kitchen, minimizing waste and mess.1 handful parsley, mint or your favourite green herbs
- Make the dressing up in the bowl by putting the lemon juice and olive oil, lemon zest, honey, mustard and seasoning in. Mix together.1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp olive oil, ¼ tsp mustard, ¼ tsp honey
- Add the remaining ingredients, reserving some of the herbs to garnish. Toss to combine.freshly ground black pepper
- Transfer the salad to a serving plate. Arrange the courgette ribbons to give them some height for attractive presentation. Garnish with extra herbs and lemon wedges to serve.
Notes
Storage
Fridge – You can store this courgette/zucchini salad in the fridge for up to two days. If it has been in the fridge for a while, pour off any excess liquid and give it an extra squeeze of lemon juice before serving. Hints and tips- Smaller courgettes are better. Choose one medium or two small courgettes for this recipe but avoid large overgrown fruit.
- A mini handheld mandoline slicer is fairly inexpensive and works so well. Just PLEASE use the finger guard! I have the OXO Good Grips one and It is sharp, fits in a drawer and is easy to wash. You do not need a fancy version in a domestic kitchen.
Heidemarie
A lovely salad, thank you.
I “fancied it up” this time by adding a few thin strips of preserved lemon and crumbling a bit of feta over the top. I think it worked out very well.
Helen Best-Shaw
that sounds delicious!