Bring vibrancy and ease to this time of year with this Grilled Zucchini Salad. The combination of crunchy zucchini, creamy feta, a splash of lemon juice, and fresh herbs makes a light and satisfying meal in just minutes!
Jump to:
Zucchini season is underway so add this summer salad to your rotation. It's done in under 15 minutes and made with simple fresh ingredients. Impress your family and friends at the next backyard barbecue by serving this charred-to-perfection dish finished with a zesty lemon vinaigrette.
This is one of my favorite side dishes for the summer months because it's made in minutes and adds a light and refreshing touch to my table. Don't worry if you don't have an outdoor grill this recipe can easily be made on an indoor grill pan or indoor smokeless grill.
🌟Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Takes 14 minutes to make. Cook time is actually only 4 minutes which just adds to the appeal of this recipe.
- 8 simple ingredients. Most of the ingredients are commonly found in every household.
- Light and refreshing. This zucchini salad recipe is perfect for a light meal or an easy side dish for your next party.
- Versatile. This salad can be served hot, cold or at room temperature. You can also make it your own by adding spice with red pepper flakes, extra fresh produce like cherry tomatoes, or more crunch with red onion.
🥘Ingredients and Substitutions
- Zucchini- be sure to cut them in thin slices lengthwise.
- Feta Cheese- feta is the best addition to round out this zucchini salad but a good alternative for cow's cheese would be feta made from sheep or goat's milk or even crumbled goat cheese. Omit the cheese for a vegan option.
- Fresh dill and parsley- Summer is the best time to use those fresh herbs.
- Olive Oil- I like the flavor of olive oil for this dish but avocado oil is a good substitute.
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
🔪Instructions
Step 1: Heat the grill to medium heat. Coat the thinly sliced zucchini with olive oil on both sides.
Step 2: Add the zucchini to the grill and cook for 1-2 minutes per side. Allow the zucchini to char with grill marks.
Step 3: Take the zucchini off the grill and add it to a large bowl. Season with more olive oil and add in fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper and herbs.
Step 4: Add the salad to a serving plate and sprinkle with feta. Serve and enjoy!
💭Recipe FAQs
The best way is to char zucchini on medium heat. Although it's tempting to turn the grill to high heat, "slow" and steady wins the race. Adding salt before grilling is also a good way to pull out the moisture while cooking but make sure to omit salt when combining the rest of the ingredients.
Nope! Always leave zucchini skin on. When zucchini cooks the skin helps to keep the vegetable from falling apart and most of the vitamins and nutrients are found in the skin.
For this recipe, I recommend slicing the zucchini into ¼-inch thick strips lengthwise. A mandoline will make slicing the zucchini easier than just a knife.
Cut thicker strips of zucchini if you are not serving it in a salad.
👩🏻🍳Chef Tips
- Grease the grill. Be sure to grease those grill grates to ensure the zucchini doesn't stick.
- Store in an airtight container. This recipe comes together quickly but if you need to make it ahead of time be sure to store it in the fridge in an airtight container. It's a good idea to add the cheese as you serve instead of sprinkling it before storing it.
- The best thing? This zucchini salad can be stored hot or cold!
- Add in other grilled veggies like red peppers if you have them!
🥗Serving
This is your new way of cooking zucchini this summer. Add it to the cookout menu alongside my Grilled Mediterranean Chicken Thighs, and wash it down with a refreshing cocktail like my Cucumber Mint Mojito.
Like this recipe and want more zucchini recipes? Try these:
- Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables35 Minutes
- Healthy Ground Turkey Enchiladas55 Minutes
- Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs1 Hours 30 Minutes
- Instant Pot Minestrone Soup25 Minutes
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating & comment below to let me know how it came out. Thanks for visiting!
🍳Recipe
Grilled Zucchini Salad
Ingredients
- 2 large zucchini, sliced thinly lengthwise (use a mandoline if you have one for ¼-inch thick slices)
- 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ lemon, juiced
Instructions
- Heat the grill to medium heat.
- Using a pastry brush, use 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to coat both sides of the zucchini slices.
- Place the zucchini slices on the grill and cook for 1-2 minutes per side.
- Add the cooked zucchini to a bowl and season with 1 more tablespoon of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and herbs. Place the salad on a platter and sprinkle with feta. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Grease the grill. Be sure to grease those grill grates to ensure the zucchini doesn't stick.
- Store in an airtight container. This recipe comes together quickly but if you need to make it ahead of time be sure to store it in the fridge in an airtight container. It's a good idea to add the cheese as you serve instead of sprinkling it before storing it.
- The best thing? This zucchini salad can be stored hot or cold!
- Add in other grilled veggies like red peppers if you have them!
- I recommend slicing the zucchini into ¼-inch thick strips lengthwise. A mandoline will make slicing the zucchini easier than just a knife.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Comments
No Comments