A delicious side dish made with zucchinis cut into matchsticks, tossed with mint, parmesan, and almonds. This Chopped Zucchini Salad With Parmesan And Herbs is a refreshing salad for those days when you want a meal, but not “a MEAL”.
Do you know about Milk Street? It’s a great publication started by Christopher Kimball (of America’s Test Kitchen Fame) and turns out amazing, well-tested recipes that always come together well. I’d loved Cooks Illustrated for years, both for its recipes, but also for the education it offered on why some things worked and others didn’t.
I was fortunate to receive the cookbook, Milk Street: Tuesday Nights, by Christopher Kimball for Christmas this past year. To a Mom of two busy boys, this book was a Godsend.
The premise is that any recipe in the book is doable on any random Tuesday night. It’s broken down into sections - not by the type of food, but by the time it takes to make it - fast, faster, and fastest. Anyone who has stepped into their home at 5:30 PM on a weeknight and has muttered “WTF am I making for dinner tonight” would welcome this gem. The recipes are easy, fast, and delicious. Win, win, win.
What's In This Chopped Zucchini Salad?
This recipe from the book was a winner in my kitchen when my oven was on the fritz. Super simple, clean ingredients.
- There's crunch added from the raw zucchini and toasted nuts.
- A bit of punch from the parmesan.
- A citrusy note from the lemony dressing.
- And, a bit of a surprise from the mint.
It’s a winner for summer, or fall, and works great alongside a rotisserie chicken or a pan-fried pork chop.
How To Make It
I followed this recipe mostly to the letter, with just a few exceptions. The recipe calls for toasted hazelnuts, but since I had slivered almonds on hand, I used those instead.
It also requires you to shave the zucchini to make super-thin ribbons of zucchini. Mine ended up a bit thick so I chopped them into matchsticks instead. I think I like that even better since they provide a bit more crunch than I think the ribbons would have.
Here's how it comes together:
- Chop up your zucchini into small thin strips, removing the seeds as you go.
- Whiz up your dressing by mixing lemon juice and zest, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper in a bowl.
- Add dressing to the zucchini strips, mix well, then top with grated parmesan and mint, basil, and sliced almonds.
This Chopped Zucchini Salad With Parmesan And Herbs is the perfect side dish for your next meal. And, if you do give it a try, tag me with a photo on IG! I love to see your dishes and hear what you think!
More Delicious Salads
- Burrata Salad With Cherries And Hot Honey
- Tomato Salad With Grains, Mint, And Feta
- Healthy Chicken, Pomegranate And Arugula Crunch Salad
- Peach Caprese Salad With Roasted Pistachios
- Nectarine And Quinoa Salad With Basil And Feta
Chopped Zucchini Salad With Parmesan And Herbs
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon honey
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lb zucchini (about 2 medium zucchinis)
- 1 oz parmesan cheese, finely grated
- ½ cup chopped mint
- ½ cup chopped basil
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Chop your zucchini into thin matchsticks, making sure to discard the seedy core of the zucchini. Set aside
- Whisk the lemon zest and juice, oil, honey, salt, and pepper to taste in a small bowel to make the dressing.
- Combine the dressing with the chopped zucchini, and add the cheese, mint, and basil. Toss to coat and sprinkle extra Parmesan cheese, and the toasted nuts over the salad.
Did you try this recipe? Tell me what you think!