Herby Zucchini Ribbon Salad Recipe

Oh, the many ways to use zucchini! Zucchini is known for its versatility in the culinary world. With its mild flavor and tender texture, zucchini can be used in a multitude of dishes, making it a staple ingredient in various cuisines. It can be enjoyed raw, sliced, grated, sauteed, grilled, roasted, or stir-fried. It has the ability to absorb the flavors that it's cooked with so you can get creative and bring in a variety of tastes. 

Recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe for herby zucchini ribbon salad and says, "The combination of the delicate zucchini ribbons with the fresh herbs and lemon just screams summer! It is light, crunchy, and makes a good side dish with just about any entrée ranging from chicken on the grill to a hearty pasta dish."

To make this recipe start by grabbing some zucchini. "I look for large zucchini so that you get nice wide ribbons," Hahn says. While you're in the produce aisle pick up some heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil, parsley, chives, dill, and lemon. "Regular tomatoes work fine here if you have trouble finding heirloom tomatoes," Hahn says. Then to complete the simple dressing, you'll need some olive oil, salt, and pepper.

To make the beautiful zucchini ribbons, cut off and discard both ends of each zucchini. Then, using a potato peeler, peel the zucchini into long strips. "I like using a Y-shaped peeler because it seems to make the job easier so opt for that one if you have both types," Hahn shares. 

Discard the first strip since it is all peel and continue to peel until you reach the heavily seeded part of the zucchini. Once you reach that part, turn the zucchini and start peeling a new side. Repeat this until you are left with just the zucchini core. Then go ahead and chop the tomatoes, basil, parsley, chives, and dill.

"I love the fresh taste of this dressing and it's so easy to make," Hahn shares. Start by zesting a lemon into a small bowl, then juice it as well. "If you have a lemon squeezer tool, use that so that you trap the seeds. If you don't have one, just be sure to scoop out any seeds that may have made their way into the bowl," Hahn remarks. Now add the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Give that a quick stir and your tangy lemon dressing is done.

Add the zucchini ribbons, tomatoes, parsley, basil, chives, and dill to a large bowl. Make sure to grab on large enough to give you plenty of room to mix your ingredients. Now pour the dressing on top and toss. Just like that, your gorgeous ribbon salad is ready to serve. The salad is best eaten right away. "If you want to make it earlier in the day for an evening meal, just keep the dressing separate and add right before serving," Hahn says.