This Italian Zucchini Salad is the perfect side for BBQs and entertaining! It features crisp zucchini noodles tossed with charred corn, pungent red onions, juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella and fresh basil. Finished with a silky Italian dressing, this salad is healthy and full of bright flavors!Recipe can be scaled up or down by using the slider if you hover your mouse over the number of Servings.
Optional Garnishes: Toasted Pine Nuts, Microgreens, Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Instructions
Crisp prosciutto (OPTIONAL): Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the prosciutto in an even layer so that they are not overlapping. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the prosciutto is golden and crisped. Remove from oven and place baking sheet on a wire rack. Allow prosciutto to cool.
Assemble salad: In a large mixing bowl, add the zucchini, corn, red onion, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and basil. Season with a pinch of pepper (do not add salt). Toss well to combine.
Add dressing: Add dressing to the salad to taste. Toss well to coat.
Garnish and Serve: Transfer salad to a serving platter or individual plates. Sprinkle with crispy prosciutto, flaky salt and more fresh basil. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Zucchini: If you don’t have a spiralizer you can use a vegetable peeler to create long strands of zucchini. Or, you can use a sharp knife to thinly slice the zucchini lengthwise. Make sure you roughly chop the zucchini noodles before using them in the salad - it will make the salad much easier to toss!!
To grill corn: Preheat grill to medium. Spray corn all over with cooking oil and generously season with salt and pepper. Place corn on the grill and cook, rotating every 2-3 minutes, until corn is charred all over, about 10-12 minutes total. Remove to a clean work surface and set aside until cool enough to handle. Once cool, use a serrated knife to cut kernels of corn from the cob.
Option to cook noodles: If raw vegetable noodles scare you, feel free to quickly cook them for a of couple minutes in large sauté pan. Just make sure you do not season them with salt! Place a saute pan over medium heat, add noodles and cook for 2-3 minutes. Do not overcook the noodles! Allow them to cool slightly before proceeding with recipe.
To customize: You can easily add whatever fresh summer produce you have on hand to this salad. You can substitute summer squash for the zucchini or use a combination of both. I encourage you to make this salad your own! Please see the post for a complete list of ingredients to add.
Dressing: You can either use your favorite store bought Italian dressing, or you can make your own. I always recommend making your own so you can tailor it to your taste, and control what is going into it. But, if you’re in a pinch there ain’t no shame in the store bought stuff!
DIY Italian Dressing:1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar (or white wine vinegar)1 Clove Garlic - minced2 TBS Grated Parmesan Cheese1 TBS Lemon Juice1 tsp Dijon Mustard1-3 tsp Honey3/4 tsp Italian SeasoningCoarse Sea Salt & Ground Black PepperDirections: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Whisk well until combined. Taste and adjust sweetness with honey, and seasoning with salt and pepper. Enjoy!Nutritional information is an approximation based upon 4 servings and does not include dressing. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.