This fresh and colorful zucchini salad showcases the best of summer veggies!
Zucchini noodles, peppers, tomatoes, onions, and salami, and parmesan cheese are all tossed in a bright Italian vinaigrette dressing!
This zucchini pasta salad is a refreshing and healthy dish that works well as a side or a light meal on its own.
A Healthy Salad!
- Zucchini pasta salad is a fresh and flavorful way to enjoy pasta salad without all the carbs.
- It’s a perfect make-ahead dish on hot days or for quick lunches.
- Loaded with fresh and crisp raw veggies mixed with spiraled zucchini squash, this delish salad is low in calories, high in fiber, and packed with vitamins and minerals!
- This zoodle salad makes a quick and easy side dish for steak, or it can be topped with garlic butter shrimp or grilled shrimp for a hearty, low-carb dinner.
Ingredients and Variations
Zucchini – Zucchini is firm with thin skins so they don’t need to be peeled. English cucumbers can be used in place of zucchini in this recipe or a combination of both!
Meat – Salami can be switched out for tofu or other keto proteins like sliced summer sausage, bay shrimp, salmon, or leftover chicken or beef.
Veggies – Bell peppers are colorful and crunchy, and along with tomatoes and onions, offer a sweet balance to the Italian seasonings. Other keto-friendly veggies to include are chopped broccoli and cauliflower, sliced radishes, and sliced cucumbers.
Cheese – Besides parmesan, crumbled feta, blue cheese, or shredded cheddar are good choices.
Dressing – Any bottle of Italian dressing and seasoning mix will do, but try this DIY Italian seasoning mix and keep it on hand and use it as a dry rub or to sprinkle over grilled vegetables.
How To Make Zucchini Salad
- Spiralize the zucchini into ribbons and combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
- Toss with dressing and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.
- Garnish with extra parmesan cheese or a slice of lemon, if desired.
Pro Tip:
Use half the dressing if making ahead and add the rest before serving.
Zucchini Noodle Tips
No spiralizer? No problem! Use a vegetable peeler to make thin zucchini ribbons instead. Simply hold the zucchini with one hand against the cutting board and peel off long strips while rotating the zucchini.
Zucchini has a high water content, which can produce a watery salad. To avoid this, lightly salt the zucchini noodles after spiralizing them and let them sit for about 10 minutes. This helps draw out excess moisture. Then, pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels before adding them to the salad.
Keep uncooked zoodles wrapped in a paper towel in a container in the refrigerator to use in recipes like almond pesto zoodles, chicken zoodle soup, lasagna or even keto chili.
Serving and Storing
- Serve zucchini pasta salad extra cold on its own, or over a bed of shredded lettuce tucked into a low-carb wrap for an easy, energizing workday lunch! Delicious with keto crackers, or on top of cloud bread.
- Keep leftover zucchini pasta salad in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep salad covered in the refrigerator and it will last about 3 days.
- Drain the salad before serving again and season with salt and pepper and extra dressing and parmesan cheese, if desired.
Other Low Carb Sides
Zucchini Pasta Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds zucchini about 2 medium
- 2 ounces salami chopped
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese cubed
- ½ cup black olives sliced
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
- ½ green bell pepper diced
- ½ red bell pepper diced
- ⅓ cup red onion diced
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese shredded
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt & pepper to taste
- ½ cup bottled Italian vinaigrette dressing
Instructions
- Spiralize zucchini using the larger blade on a spiralizer. (see note if you do not have a spiralizer).
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss well to combine.
- Refrigerate 1 hour before serving tossing occasionally.
Notes
- Use a vegetable peeler to peel strips of the zucchini lengthwise to make ribbons if you don’t have a spiralizer.
- Salt and pat zucchini noodles dry to remove excess moisture before adding to the salad.
- Add contrasting textures with ingredients like sliced almonds, toasted pine nuts, or diced cucumbers and bell peppers.
- Explore different dressings such as creamy lemony yogurt, avocado-based, tangy balsamic vinaigrette, or zesty Italian dressing.
- Customize your salad with protein options like grilled chicken, shrimp, or chickpeas, and add extra flavor with herbs like mint or cilantro, and ingredients like sun-dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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Paulette
Glad you are enjoying them, Paulette!