Summer Squash Salad

Looking for healthy courgette salad recipes? This vibrant raw summer squash and zucchini dish is a quick and easy side dish for summer cookouts and barbecues. Use your spiralizer or julienne peeler to make ribbons of raw zucchini and summer squash and toss with pesto vinaigrette, extra parmesan cheese and toasted almonds. This simple squash and courgette salad is a gluten-free, low-carb side that goes great with so many main courses.

At the height of summer, home gardens are bursting with tender green zucchini and summer squash and the markets are full of this farmer’s bounty. Sometimes it can be overwhelming. In my family, squash and zucchini were always served cooked (or, sadly, over-cooked – when visiting my grandmother). I can remember some bowls full of “steamed squash” that resembled more “mush” than “veg”. (Please don’t tell my grandmother).

Ingredients for courgette salad with pesto

• Summer Squash
• Zucchini (Courgette)
• Vidalia Onions
• Parmesan Cheese
• Sliced Almonds

Ingredients for pesto vinaigrette

• Pesto Sauce
• White Wine Vinegar
• Olive Oil
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper

How to choose zucchini and summer squash

1. Look for squash that are small to medium in size (usually 6-8 inches).
2. The skin should be smooth without bruises or blemishes.
3. If your zucchini has tiny hairs, rest assured, that just means it’s really fresh.

Can you eat squash raw?

The short answer is, “yes.” It wasn’t until I was older that I discovered the pleasure of raw zucchini and squash. Raw vegetables hold more snap (and vitamins) than their cooked counterparts and in the summer when the mercury surges past 100°, it’s nice to not have to turn on the stove or oven for this squash and courgette salad. Squash and zucchini are naturally very mild in flavor, even in their raw form, so the real flavorings will come from the other ingredients, like the pesto dressing, cheese and toasted almonds.

How to slice squash and zucchini for salad

For this simple raw zucchini and squash dish, I prefer very thinly sliced or julienned vegetables, This can be achieved with a spiralizer, mandoline, box grater or a julienne peeler. I have a peeler that makes ultra thin ribbons and its my personal choice for this salad, however, if you don’t have it, feel free to thinly slice or dice the zucchini into bite sized pieces instead. Three or four squash will make enough salad for 4-6 people as a side dish.

Assembling the raw zucchini & squash salad

1. Assemble the pesto dressing and set aside
2. Julienne, spiralize or chop the raw squash and zucchini and transfer to a bowl.
3. Add the chopped sweet onions to the squash.
4. Add the pesto vinaigrette a few tablespoons at a time and use tongs to toss the dressing into the courgette salad to coat.
5. Add parmesan cheese and toss again to coat.
6. Finish with a sprinkle of toasted sliced almonds.

How does raw squash and zucchini taste?

Unlike the mushy, over-cooked squash and zucchini of my youth, this zippy, fresh summer squash salad has a tender snap to it. The herbaceous pesto vinaigrette coats each strand of squash and helps the extra parmesan cheese cling to it. We love this with chicken, pork and lamb.

More courgette salad recipes you might like:

• Summertime Chopped Veggie Salad with Creamy Shallot Dressing
• Mediterranean Khorasan Wheat Salad
• Grilled Vegetable Tomato Mozzarella Caprese
• Lemon Orzo Salad with Chicken
• Grilled Summer Salad with Lime Dressing

Homemade pesto recipes you might like:

• Spinach Basil Pesto with Almonds
• Pesto with Pine Nuts
• Basil Walnut Pesto
• Pistachio Pesto

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