This Spiralized Zucchini Salad is pretty spectacular! I am obsessed with the contrast of crisp-tender zucchini noodles, crunchy sunflower seeds, sweet tomatoes and creamy goat cheese. A simple red wine vinaigrette dressing and a sprinkling of basil brings everything together. This recipe is infinitely adaptable, so feel free to play with it and adjust it to your liking.
This Spiralized Zucchini Salad Has the Best Flavors of The Season!
Who else absolutely loves spiralized veggies?
In our family, making "noodles" with veggies is the best way I've found to get the kids to eat them without fuss.
And I get it. Because even as an adult, it seems fun.
While my kids may not exactly dive into this Spiralized Zucchini Salad, this is a simple recipe that I adore.
It is the kind of dish that I make when I've been eating the same salad every day for a month and need to mix things up. (It also happens to be a fabulous way to use up surplus zucchini when you have an over-abundance.)
I think you will love it as much as I do!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you eat zucchini raw in a salad?
Absolutely! Unlike many root vegetables, zucchini is excellent raw.
How do you make zucchini noodles?
There are several ways that you can make Zucchini Noodles.
The first is with a Spiralizer. This is an expensive handheld devices that allows you to manually create "noodles" by turning the crank. It sounds more labor intensive than it is - it is actually quite easy.
Another option is to use a vegetable peeler. This is a touch more labor intensive, but still a fairly simple process.
A madoline allows you to make a shaved zucchini salad, with thinly shaved zucchini that is wider and thinner than zucchini noodles.
Lastly, Kitchen Aid has an attachment for its stand mixers that quickly and easily creates noodles.
How to Make a Spiralized Zucchini Salad:
- First, make your zucchini “noodles” using a spiralizer, vegetable peeler, or madoline.
- Next, place the zucchini in a bowl and toss with the tomato.
- After that, add in the red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Toss until combines.
- Finally, top with goat cheese, basil, and sunflower seeds. Serve immediately.
Variations for Shaved Zucchini Salad:
- Instead of sunflower seeds, use pepitas. (Pumpkin seeds) Sometimes you can find them pre-spiced which adds a nice burst of flavor.
- Add a teaspoon of minced garlic and ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper.
- Substitute lemon juice for the red wine vinegar and add in 1 teaspoon lemon zest.
- Use Parmesan in place of the goat cheese.
- This salad is absolutely fabulous with my Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe. It is an extra step, but worth the effort!
If You Like This Recipe You May Also Like:
Spiralized Zucchini Salad Recipe
Enjoy the best flavors of summer with this delicious and easy to make Spiralized Zucchini Salad!
Spiralized Zucchini Salad with Tomatoes and Goat Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 large zucchini spiralized or shaved with a vegetable peeler
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
- 1 ½ ounces goat cheese or vegan nut cheese crumbled
- ¼ cup fresh basil chopped thin
- 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
Instructions
- Shave zucchini with a vegetable peeler or use a spiralizer to turn them into “noodles”
- Place zucchini in a medium bowl and toss with tomato. Add vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper and toss until well combined. Top with goat cheese, basil and sunflower seeds and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Other Spiralized Salad Recipes to Try:
- Spiralized Vegetable Salad from Jessica Gavin
- Spiralized Cucumber Salad from Eating Well
Shannon Graham
The goat cheese sounds really great!